OB/GYN is the abbreviation for obstetrics and gynecology.  This is the specialty of medicine that focuses on everything related to the medical science of women and everything dealing with the women's body.  Now gentlemen, keep in your pants (LOL).

Obstetrics
Pregnancy, child birth, and postpartum care.

Gynecology
Deals with the female reproduction, which includes the entire reproductive system of the female, including breast, sexuality, and family planning.

Obstetrics and gynecology overlap in most cases.  Doctors in those specialties usually practice both.  When it comes to caring for their patients, they usually do so in a long-term doctor-patient relationship.

A pulmonologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the treatment of respiratory tract and the lungs. Pulmonologists treat a variety diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis, pleural infections, COPD, lung cancers, pneumoconioses, and more. Pulmonologists also follow through with patients, especially lung cancer patients as the lung cancer incidence has not decreased while its prevalence has increased in the recent years.

How to Be a Pulmonary Doctor

1. Get a bachelor's degree with pre-medicine classes
2. Get into medical school; it'll take 4 years to finish
3. Complete an ACGME accredited internal medicine residency program, which will take 3 years
4. An addition of a minimum of 2 years of fellowship with patient contact and responsibility; the level of responsibility has to increase with each additional year of training.  Some programs may require at least 3 years of fellowship on top of internal medicine residency years.

How Much Do Pulmonary Doctors Make
As of 2012, the median salary for pulmonologist is $263,000. Historical data shows about 16% of pulmonologist makes around $400,000, which is mainly due to accumulated years of experience. Unfortunately there is a gap between the salaries of male and female pulmonologist physicians; apparently there is a 30% increase in favor of male physicians.

The salary for pulmonologist varies based on the geographical region of the United States.  Doctors in the Southwest part of America tend to make $212,000 as of 2012. Doctors in the West part of America tend to make the highest salaries with a mean of $296,900.  That means there is a $86,000 increase in salary in Western America.  

In the mid-Atlantic states which includes North Carolina, pulmonologist physicians make an average of $254,000. The high number is no surprise because North Carolina is known as the tobacco state, hence home of smokers. North Carolina would be a gold mine of pulmonologists.

References: MedScape, Health Communities

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor that overseas the treatment of mental disorders. Keep one thing in mind, psychiatrists are not the same and psychologists. Psychiatrists actually went to medical school.

Psychiatrists mostly consult and prescribe medications for mental disorders. Psychiatrists also work in team environment working with social workers, psychologists, and primary care physicians. Check out my psychiatry rotation review.

Types of psychiatrists:

• Addiction psychiatrist 
• Adult psychiatrist
• Adolescent and child psychiatrist
• Forensic psychiatrist
• Geriatric psychiatrist 
• Neuropsychiatrist 
• Organizational psychiatrist 

How to be a psychiatrists:

1. Get a bachelor's degree with pre-medicine concentration, which will take 4 years to complete
2. Go to a medical school, which will take 4 years to complete
3. Complete a 4 years residency in psychiatry
4. Pass the board certification test

How much does a psychiatrists make?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychiatrists make an average $174,170 per year, or $83.73 per hour, as of May 2011. As of April 14th 2013, psychiatrists in Hawaii earn an average salary of $97,000 per year, which is kind of low for a person with an MD. However, I know of a psychiatrist who made well over a million dollars per year, but he works all day and he has over 20 years of experience.

California has a record of the most jobs in the medical field of psychiatry. It makes sense, since marjuana or cannabis is legalized, those pot heads need someone to treat their mental disorders.

So if you are the type of person that doesn't want to deal with needles or other hands on procedures or if you just want to have a laid back medical doctor job, then go for psychiatry. Basically, you will be consulting and writing prescription all day and you still would be paid a six-figure income.

Who are pediatricians?
They are physicians who specialize in the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents in the primary care setting. Pediatricians take care of injury, disease prevention, diagnosis, and basically maintain the well-being of their young patients. If you were in high school and you needed a physical check-up before joining a sports team, then you would go to a primary care doctor, specifically a pediatrician, if available.

How much do pediatricians make?
Pediatricians make from a rage of $135,447 to $224,202 with a median salary of $172,526. Many factors affect the salary of a pediatrician such as the location of the job and the institutions one works for. Working in rural areas will have a higher payout than working in urban areas due to the lack of physicians in the rural areas.

How to be a pediatrician?
4 years in a undergrad school with pre-medicine concentration
4 years in medical school
3 years of family practice or internal medicine residency
2-4 years in post-residency fellowship

Do you think you want to be a pediatrician?
First you have to ask yourself, do you like children? If you don’t like kids, then stay away, stay far away from this specialty. Pediatricians must interact with children in order to properly take care of them so, that means they have to be patient with children. According to some doctors sometimes the parents become a nuisance because they try to dictate which treatment is the best for their child against the doctor’s orders.

References: Salary.com

What is Nephrology?

It is the study of the renal system, as in the kidneys and all that it does. Nephrology spans from the biochemistry of the kidney's function to the pathology of the kidneys.

What does a Nephrologist do?

Nephrologists consult with their patients to determine the appropriate course of treatment; they suggest and orders tests to determine extent of illness or aid in diagnosis. Nephrologists diagnose and treats kidney disorders and everything related to it.  They treat electrolyte disorders, acid-base disorders, kidney stones, high blood pressure, and end-stage renal disease.  It also goes further in treating vascular disorders that tie in with the renal vasculature and nutritional metabolism.

How to Become a Nephrologist?

Nephrology is under the subspecialty of internal medicine so that means you have to do 3 years of internal medicine residency.  And after residency you have the option of doing 2-4 years of nephrology fellowship.  A nephrologist must be approved by the board in order to be fully licensed.

How Much Does a Nephrologist Make?

The median salary for a nephrologist is $210,355, which is not bad even in a bad economy; yes that's enough to buy your sexy black BMW 645Ci.  Basically, you get $17,529 every month excluding the income taxes and insurance.  The lowest recorded salary is $163,830 and the highest salary recorded is a whopping $274,045.

What does a gastroenterologist do?

A gastroenterologist deals with the body’s digestive system, which includes anything from the mouth to the anus. It can involve any organ that deals with digestion such as the pancreas, the duodenum, the stomach (obviously), the colon, the small intestines, etc. Those who have colon cancer or ulcers go to a gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists also deals with prevention of cancers by removing polyps from the digestive tract. Polyps are pre-malignant which can lead to cancers so, gastroenterologists remove those polyps. Gastroenterologists also deals with liver diseases but that deals with a hepatologist, which is a subspecialty of gastroenterology.

How much does a gastroenterologist make?

The US national average recorded shows that the lowest salary recorded is $210,599, and the highest salary recorded is a whopping $514,033; the median salary $323,417.

How to be a gastroenterologist?

First, one has to complete 4 years of medical school (duh), then three years of internal medicine residency. Then 2-4 years of gastroenterology specialty fellowships. For concentrating to a particular organ, such as the liver, they can go into subspecialty for further training.  Keep in mind the longer the training the more money one can earn.

Source: Salary.com

What does an endocrinologist do?

Endocrinologists diagnose, treat, and manage diseases that affect the glands of the body.  Diseases that manifest abnormal hormonal levels such as in diabetes, hyperparathyroidism, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia to name a few.  They counsel patients in following a healthy lifestyle to manage their endocrine illness.  You could also say they are sex doctors in a way since they do deal with managing sex hormones.

How to become an endocrinologist?

Well going to medical school is the obvious part.  After 4 years of medical school, one must complete 3 years of internal medicine residency and specialize in endocrinology afterwards.  Specializing in endocrinology after internal medicine residency requires 2-3 years of fellowship.

How much does an endocrinologist make?

According to the survey published by American Medical Group Association, as of 2009 the starting salary for an endocrinologist is $175,000 and the median salary for an endocrinologist is $212,281.  So if you break it down by month, the Physician would get $17,690 with the median salary, now that’s not bad, especially in this economy.  As of 2009, the highest paid salary for endocrinology is $226,054 and the lowest is $202,820, which is on the East Coast of US.  Keep in mind these salary figures are before the deduction of income tax, government overhead fees, and malpractice insurance.

A career as an endocrinologist is an ideal choice for those who have a strong desire to serve patients and have good bedside manner.  Endocrinologists must have good communication skills as they must counsel their patients and be able to interact with other medical personnel.

Sources: DegreeFinders, eHow

Did you go to Saint James School of Medicine because you want to make money? I hope the answer to that question is a big NO, but not just at SJSM it applies to any medical school. When I was doing my undergrad I was with about 140 students in the pre-medicine program in my class. Half of the students were Chemistry majors and the other half were Biology majors, the group that I was with. And about 7 out of 60 that I know of in the class have gone through to finish pre-medicine. For a good majority of the 7 people I know of, most of them went through to dental school and pharmacy school, while another student and I went along with regular medicine.

After coming back from Bonaire I caught up with those students and I asked those students why didn’t they go medical school like they originally planned, their answer was that it was too hard or they were not willing to go through “all that”. They explained to me what they have to do to get a PharmD or a DMD (doctor of dental medicine). When they explained to me their path to getting their degree and what awaits them at the other end of the light, I was stunned that they don’t have to go through what MDs have to go through plus they are paid more. Yes you read it right, they are paid more in the long run than MDs. A pharmacists and a dentists gets paid very well but not as well as an MD, however, they have less liability and therefore they get to keep more money at the end of the day than a regular medical doctor. Some doctors, depending on their insurance or whichever hospital they work for, have to give up 45% of their hard worked money. It includes government overhead fees, insurance, and income tax.

It’s funny and ironic how the system works in America. Sports players get paid millions of dollars just for entertaining us and they get to live lavish lives and have fun. However, doctors have to sacrifice at least 7 years of their lives to learn to save people. On top of that they are overworked and underpaid and at the end, half of their paycheck gets taken away. That’s one of the reasons I get ticked off when someone, non-medical person, starts the argument “doctors get paid too much”.

So if you think you can make big money becoming a doctor, think again. You’re better off as a financial analyst at a consulting firm on Wall Street, but then again Wall Street has problems now for corporate greed.

The field of Family Practice is not really a competitive field in the United States. Most medical students avoid getting into the field because the money is not all that great compared to other specialties such as dermatology or radiology. Medical students have enormous piles of debt once they finish medical school so, they will choose the highest paying job in order to pay off their debt ASAP. Physicians consider Family practice field as the lowest ranking field; however, that’s about to change with the new healthcare plan set by President Obama. With the new nationalized healthcare plan there will be an additional 30 million people getting healthcare and the demand for primary care, specifically Family Practice doctors, are now needed.

How much do Family Practice doctors make?

From January 21, 2011 physicians get from $120,731 to $169,119. During residency, residents in family practice get a very handsome salary above other residents from other fields because the demand for primary care doctors are soaring. They get from $46,000 to up to $60,000 just for residency! And just like internal medicine family practice doctors makes a killing in the rural areas than in the urban areas.

How to be a Family Practice doctor after high school?

- 4 years of undergraduate work

- 4 years of medical school

- 3 years of residency

So yeah about 11 years just like internal medicine, and like internal medicine there are subspecialties which includes the following:

- Adolescent Medicine

- Geriatric Medicine

- OB/GYN

- Pediatrics

- Sleep Medicine

- Sports Medicine

Source: Salary.com

An internist is a doctor in the field of Internal Medicine, hence the name “internist”. Internal medicine doctors are different than Family Practice doctors in which they focus mostly in treating and preventing illnesses of adults. In Family Practice, doctors deal with the treatment of children and adults. Just like family practice, Internal Medicine is a residency by itself and most doctors are internal medicine physicians. Internal medicine has a wide range of specialties with rewarding salaries which attracts most of the medical school graduates.

Internal Medicine Sub-specialties Include:

* Adolescent medicine

* Allergy and immunology

* Cardiology (heart)

* Endocrinology (diabetes and other glandular disorders)

* Gastroenterology (colon and intestinal tract)

* Geriatrics (care of the elderly)

* Hematology (blood)

* Infectious disease

* Nephrology (kidneys)

* Oncology (cancer)

* Pulmonology (lungs)

* Rheumatology (arthritis)

* Sports medicine

Medical students who do not want to jump into specialties can just complete 3 years of residency to complete the general requirements to be internists. Internal medicine can also be referred as a “general practitioner” with whom basic treatment is conducted.

How Much do Internists Make?

As of January 2011, the lowest an internist makes without any sub-specialties, is $146,525 and the highest they make is $227,419. Of course experience increases the numbers and also internists who work in rural areas make more money than internists who work in the urban areas.

How to be an Internal Medicine Doctor?

1) 4 years of undergraduate course

2) 4 years of medical school

3) 3 years of internal medicine residency

4) Pass USMLE Step 1, Step 2, Step 3

5) Pass the state test to get the license from that state

Source: Salary.com

First of all, what is a pathologist? A pathologist is someone who diagnoses, studies, and investigates disorders. Now pathologist basically studied cellular architecture under a microscope. A pathologist is often called “a doctor’s doctor” because when a doctor has a patient who needs his/her tissue looked at, the doctor goes to a pathologist.

How to be a Pathologist?

Obviously you have to have an MD first; a pathologist is a medical doctor. After 4 years in medical school, the pathologist must do three-years of residency and on top of that 1-2 years of fellowship; there are other subspecialties that require further years in training. According to my readings there are two types of pathology fields, anatomic pathology and clinical pathology, and each one has its share of differences.

 

How much does a pathologist make?

Ok, now for the good stuff. A pathologist gets a decent amount; the median salary is around $240,414. A small percentage gets nearly $276,829; in Atlanta-Georgia, a pathologist can make as a high as over $300,000. However, keep in mind factors such as years of experience plays a big role in salaries.

Sources:

http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_hc07000087.html

http://residency.pathology.umn.edu/prospective_residents/rotation_summaries/

http://www.ehow.com/how_2071508_become-pathologist.html

Cardiology is basically the specialty involved in dealing with treating the disorder(s) of the heart. I'm very interested in the field of Cardiology. The structure of the heart and the physiology behind it fascinates me.  The following are information for the 2010 year.

Starting: $292,000

Mean: $398, 034

Cardiology Salary in Southern States: $424,379

Salaries, as always, depend on experience; the more years of experience a physician has, the more he/she will get paid.

What you need to do to be a Cardiologist?

As you know in this specialty Internal Medicine is a must, and not FamilyP practice. Residents have to do three years of Internal Medicine and then an additional 3 years of Cardiology fellowship.

Source: MomMD