Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement:
All states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories require physicians to be licensed. Licensure requirements for both D.O.'s and M.D.'s include graduation from an accredited medical school (usually four years), completion of a licensing examination, and between one and seven years of graduate medical education, that is, a residency for M.D.'s and an internship and residency for D.O.'s. Although physicians licensed in one state can usually get a license to practice in another without further examination, some states limit reciprocity. Graduates of foreign medical schools can generally begin practice in the United States after passing an examination and completing a U.S. hospital residency training program. The minimum educational requirement for entry to a medical or osteopathic school is three years of college; most applicants, however, have at least a bachelor's degree, and many have advanced degrees. A few medical schools offer a combined college and medical school program that lasts six years instead of the customary eight years.

Job Outlook:
Employment of physicians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2005 due to continued expansion of the health industry. There will be approximately 751,000 physicians by 2005. New technologies permit more intensive care; physicians can do more tests, perform more procedures, and treat conditions previously regarded as untreatable. In addition, the population is growing and aging, and health care needs increase sharply with age. The need to replace physicians is lower than for most occupations because almost all physicians remain in the profession until they retire. Job prospects are good for primary care physicians such as family practitioners and internists, and for geriatric and preventive care specialists. Some shortages have been reported in the specialty areas of general surgery and psychiatry, and in some rural and low income areas. This is because physicians find these areas unattractive due to low earnings potential, isolation from medical colleagues, or other reasons, not because of any overall shortage.

Sources of Additional Information:

For a list of allopathic medical schools, as well as general information on premedical education, financial aid, and medicine as a career, contact: