Plan: Making Request a day in the Life of a Doctor

What is a Doctor?

A doctor is someone who maintains or restores human health through the practice of medicine. He or she faces the challenge of diagnosing and treating human disease, ailments, injuries, pain or other conditions. This is done by listening to the patient, understanding the problem, and then using their scientific expertise to know how best to treat the ailment or concern. There is a specific type of doctor for almost every major system located in the human body.
A doctor can be found in several settings, including public health organizations, teaching facilities, private practices, group practices and hospitals. They have some of the most diverse and challenging careers available and are part of a universally well-respected profession.

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?

Our users have told us they need help getting started as a doctor. We’re gearing up to offer affordable, accredited, online training and education for the most in-demand professions. These programs are designed to develop the skills and knowledge that quality employers seek.

We’ll be releasing these programs shortly with reduced tuition for our earliest enrollees. If you’re interested in more information, sign up for updates below!

What does a Doctor do?

A doctor's schedule will differ depending on the kind of medicine they practice. There are typically three categories of doctors:
Doctors that work in hospitals
Approximately half of doctors work in a hospital setting, either as a surgeon or as a specialized doctor. There are many medical specialties to choose from (at least thirty) and within these specialties, there are many sub-specialties. For example, a medical student can choose to become a neurosurgeon and then within this become a sub-specialist in pediatric neurosurgery.
Doctors that work within a community The other half or so of medical students will end up becoming general practitioners - seeing patients of all ages within a particular community. They are the frontline and first point of contact in a patient's health care. They diagnose and treat their patients for all sorts of ailments, and also refer their patients to the appropriate specialist doctor when needed for specific medical opinions and advice. There are other types of doctors who can also work within a community, such as those who work in paediatrics, obstetrics, and sexual health.