What is a physician and what does a physician do?

A physician is a medical professional who studies, diagnoses and treats illnesses, injuries and ailments. They have knowledge of medical ethics, human anatomy, pharmacology and other specialties depending on their field. Physicians provide preventative care, detect developing health problems and give advice to help patients develop healthy habits. Physicians are also known as doctors and medical practitioners.

Physician is a catch-all term for medical professionals who have earned a medical degree. However, physicians often specialize in a certain area of medicine, such as pediatrics or surgery. These specialties require additional training and might involve specific job duties pertaining only to that specialty. In those cases, physicians often go by a title that describes the specialty, such as an oncologist or a pediatrician. 

Related: Physician Job Description Examples

Physician job responsibilities

What does a physician do? To provide quality care for patients, they have extensive medical knowledge and strong interpersonal skills. They communicate with patients, nurses, doctors and other members of a care team to explain a diagnosis, determine the best course of treatment and follow up on recovery. They oversee medical staff and stay current with medical practice standards and laws.

The key duties of a physician are to:

• Order tests and analyze their results
• Refer patients to specialists
• Create treatment plans
• Explain side effects of medications and treatment options
• Perform basic medical procedures
• Record medical history
• Identify symptoms and diagnose patients
• Provide advice for improving patient health

When hiring a physician at a hospital or other healthcare provider, write interview questions that address the experience and skills needed to complete each of these responsibilities. Your position might require different responsibilities or a more specific type of skill within a category. For example, your physicians might need to know how to perform a unique medical procedure. 

Types of physicians

Physicians can choose to be general practitioners who provide basic medical care across several areas, or they can specialize in a specific field. Specialties require additional schooling with specific coursework, internships and fellowships where they learn field-specific skills. Some of the common types of physicians are:

Anesthesiologists

Anesthesiologists are physicians who study and practice pain management. They help patients with pain relief during and after medical procedures, collaborating with surgeons to keep the patient comfortable and sedated. Anesthesiologist job duties include monitoring patient vital signs during surgery and adjusting the amount of anesthetic to keep them stable. They also work in the intensive care unit, help people manage pain during birth and collaborate with other doctors to create safe recovery plans.

Obstetricians and gynecologists

OB/GYNs focus on female reproductive health. This includes routine care and treatment for issues related to the entire reproductive system. The physician with this specialty also cares for women before, during and after birth and helps deliver babies. Some OB/GYNS focus more on the gynecology aspect of general reproductive health, while others lean more toward obstetrics to care for pregnant women. 

Oncologists

An oncologist focuses specifically on assisting patients with cancer. They manage the patient’s care throughout their cancer diagnosis and treatment. This includes testing, creating a treatment plan and managing the side effects of the treatment. Oncologists might specialize even further. Examples include radiation oncologists, who use radiation to treat cancer, and surgical oncologists, who perform surgery to remove tumors. Other examples of specialties include geriatric, gynecologic and pediatric oncologists. 

Pediatricians

Doctors who work specifically with children, including teens and infants, are called pediatricians. Pediatricians study diseases, injuries and other medical conditions that frequently affect young patients. They administer vaccinations on the appropriate schedule, treat infections and communicate with children to understand the cause of their symptoms. They can work for a family practice or specialize further and study pediatric surgery.

Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists are physicians who focus on mental health care and prevention. They study how mental illness can influence behavior, mood and physical health. Psychiatrists implement a variety of techniques to provide specialized patient care, including talk therapy, family counseling and psychiatric medications. They can diagnose mental illness, connect individuals with other specialists and educate patients on how to manage their symptoms during treatment.

Surgeons

Surgeons are physicians who perform operations that repair tissue, insert medical devices, reset bones, remove tumors or change the patient’s physical appearance. They examine patients, create a plan for surgery and respond to unexpected situations in the operating room. Surgeons can specialize even more to focus on a specific part of the body or organ system. Some of subspecialties for physicians interested in surgery are:

• Plastic surgery
• Cardiovascular surgery
• Neurological surgery
• Orthopedic surgery

Qualifications for physicians

Becoming a physician requires years of study and experience working with qualified medical doctors. To become a physician, candidates need years of formal education where they learn how to diagnose patients and provide quality care. They learn about the history of medicine, develop an in-depth understanding of symptoms and research diseases. Education requirements to become a physician may include:

• Bachelor’s degree: Some medical schools require specific coursework to qualify for medical school, so majors such as biology and premedicine are both popular among doctors.
• Medical degree: Physicians must complete medical school, which usually takes four years.
• Medical internship: After graduating from medical school, physicians undergo a year of on-the-job training called a medical internship. Many physicians choose a specialty during their internship.
• Residency: Most states require that physicians spend 3-7 years completing a residency, which is a postgraduate training program where doctors practice medicine in their specialty under the supervision of experienced doctors.

After completing their residency, physicians can apply to become board certified and gain the license to practice medicine in their state. Some competitive fields in medicine require additional training through fellowships, where physicians can research cutting-edge cures and procedures. Teaching hospitals, for example, may have more rigorous qualifications for hiring physicians than local free clinics.

Read more: How to Hire a Physician

Different levels of physicians

In addition to specialties, physicians sometimes have different responsibilities based on their level. They often advance through the levels with increasing responsibilities.

Common levels include:

• Resident: This is the first level after graduating from medical school. Residency can last several years depending on the specialty.
• Chief resident: Some residents take a senior role as a chief resident. They often serve as a supervisor and mentor for new residents.
• Fellow: Physicians have the option to pursue a fellowship, which lets them receive even more training and education in a particular area. 
• Attending: The attending physician is what doctors become when they serve as the primary decision-makers for patient care. They’ve completed their residency and training period. 
• Department head: Some physicians eventually serve as department heads and are in charge of a specific medical department. 
• Chief of medicine: Also called a medical director or chief medical officer, this role represents the top spot for physicians at the medical facility. 

Frequently asked questions about physicians

Here are a few common questions about the job description and duties of a physician:

Is there a difference between a doctor and a physician?

Physicians and medical doctors both refer to a qualified healthcare provider who has completed medical school. The term doctor can also refer to any person who has a Ph.D. in their field, however. This form of the doctor title can apply to any field and doesn’t indicate medical experience. For example, someone who earns a Ph.D. in education could be referred to as Dr. Smith even though they’re not a medical professional.

What degree do you need to become a physician?

Physicians usually need a bachelor’s degree and one of two advanced medical degrees: Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). MDs focus on diagnosing and curing ailments, while DOs practice holistic medicine that focuses on a variety of factors in a patient’s life, such as nutrition and environment. Physicians with both types of medical degrees can practice in various medical specialties. When hiring a physician, consider which degree option is a better match for your needs. 

Do physicians perform surgery?

Some physicians perform surgery, but not all physicians are qualified to operate. Surgeons are physicians who have completed a surgical internship and a surgical residency within their specialty. They study extensively and observe multiple surgeries before operating on a patient. They may also perform several co-surgeries with a more experienced physician until they have enough experience and proven success to practice alone.

Are physicians required to do continuing education?

Every state sets its own requirements for licensing. Continuing education requirements are common and often must be completed for a doctor to renew their medical license. States often specify the number of continuing education hours required per year or during the licensure period before the license comes up for renewal. Some states require the education to fall into certain categories.