Career

Physician

Diagnose and treat disease. Long training path — med school + residency — but broad autonomy and pay.

Median salary
$239K
$118K$239K
2022–2032 outlook
+3%
Average growth
Education
MD or DO + residency
O*NET SOC 29-1229

A day in the life

  • 01Morning rounds on inpatients
  • 02Clinic visits — diagnose, prescribe, refer
  • 03Procedures, from minor to complex
  • 04Chart notes, billing, and teaching residents

What you'll actually do

  • Diagnose and treat injuries or illness
  • Prescribe and administer treatment
  • Order and interpret tests

Majors that lead here

Top colleges for this path

See how you stack up

Get your personalized match score for colleges strong in this path.

KidToCollege is free to use and editorially independent. Data sourced from public records including IPEDS, Common Data Sets, College Board and FAFSA.gov. Always verify deadlines and requirements directly with institutions. Not a guarantee of admission or financial aid.