A medical practitioner is commonly called a doctor. Some people consider it as a dream job because it is high paying. In the US, the salary of doctors range from $200,000 to $500,000 annually, depending on specialty. Others consider it as a rewarding career. Everyday, doctors are able to extend help to hundreds of people visiting them for consultation. Doctors are given custody to the lives of thousands of people. This situation is exemplified every time doctors perform operations / surgeries. If some of us feel a sense of fulfillment whenever we perform a good deed, just imagine how doctors feel whenever they were successfully able to save a life?

Doctors have a lot of perks. However, some disadvantages can also be noted.

1. Interns devote several years of training in schools and hospitals.

2. The process of acquiring a medical license isn’t easy. There are numerous requirements that need to be completed. For example, before being permitted to practice medicine, one has to pass the US Medical Licensing Examination.

3. Doctors live in a fast paced environment and are always on call. This routine can get very tiring and stressful. Some doctors are going through a work-life balance dilemma. There are doctors who are even missing out important family occasions and holidays.

4. Doctors are responsible for the lives of patients under his care. They have to make accurate calculations at all times because lives of patients are at stake. Physicians are liable for any medical malpractice.

Doctors aren’t always safe. Because of working on extended shifts, doctors are most likely to experience motor vehicle crashes. In Wichita Kansas, Dr George Tiller, one of the very few doctors who performed abortions late in pregnancy, was shot dead in the foyer of his church. He became a victim of some people who are strongly opposed to abortion. Most of the time, the target of these protests are the doctors and the women who visits their clinic. This is why, the US Marshalls Service offered protection to Abortion Doctor Group.

Doctors too have a list of appeals to the US Congress. They are seeking reform for the Tort or Malpractice law. They are also hoping that medical billing is simplified and that pricing is made clear cut. The reform of Medical Malpractice Insurance Program is also one of the issues they want the US Congress to work on. In relation to this; states like Washington, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Vermont, Connecticut, Georgia and South Carolina have the “I Am Sorry State Law” which encourages physician to confess medical errors in the hope of improving health and protecting patients.

There are perks of being a doctor. But it also has an ugly side. Considering the several issues about being a doctor, there are still a lot of people who dreamed of being one. Reasons to become a doctor vary. There are those who are inclined to help others while some are more into the benefits of being a doctor. Just as long as they efficiently perform their job, all of us actually benefits from it.

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