Western Medicine Doctor

Duties and Responsibilities: the term used to describe the treatment of medical conditions with medications, by doctors, nurses and other conventional healthcare providers who employ methods developed according to Western medical and scientific traditions. Other names for Western medicine include traditional medicine or allopathic medicine. It differs from Eastern, or alternative, medicine, in its approach to treatment, which relies heavily upon industrially produced medications and a strict adherence to the formal scientific process. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine see patients, prescribe medications, perform surgeries, and deliver babies in hospitals, medical centers, and offices across the United States and overseas.


Salary:     $100,000-$300,000


Education:Their basic and clinical medical training, Osteopathic physicians receive training in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. That is, in addition to their basic science and clinical training, DOs are additionally able to use their hands to diagnose and treat injury and illness and encourage the body's natural tendency toward good health. OMM enables physicians to treat their patients with the appropriate combination of medical procedures, medication, AND manipulation. This form of treatment can often result in immediate relief and/or increased speed of healing. Visit the American Osteopathic Association to read how DOs have made a significant difference in the lives of patients who thought they had run out of options.



Reflection: Studying in this type of field seems important. Being able to study the person to see what might be wrong with them so you can be able to give them the medication they need seems like I job I would love to do. 

                                                   Athletic Trainer

Duties and Responsibilities: Athletic Trainers are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. They also focus on injury/illness prevention, first aid and emergency care, assessment of injury/illness, human anatomy and physiology, therapeutic modalities, and nutrition. . Athletic trainers provide physical medicine, rehabilitative and preventative services. Athletic trainers treat a breadth of patients, including but not limited to: professional, college, secondary school and youth athletes, dancers, musicians and military personnel.

Salary: $33,097- $50,643

The annual salary for an Athletic Trainer varies depending on a number of factors including industry, company size, location, years of experience, and level of education.

Education: The minimum requirement for most athletic trainer positions is a bachelor's degree. The curricula include science and health-related subjects, such as nutrition, kinesiology, biomechanics and exercise physiology. Experience requirements include supervised time in clinics and internships, which may be with a college or local professional sports teams. Students who want to become certified athletic trainers must earn a degree from an accredited athletic training curriculum. More than 70 percent of certified athletic trainers hold at least a master’s degree.

Reflection: Being an Athletic Trainer sounds interesting and fun. Being in the field and caring for those who are injured sounds more fun than having to sit around in an office waiting for patients to come. I've been learning about being an athletic trainer in my sports med class so I’m familiar with this career and although the pay may not be so good it’s still a career I wouldn’t mind doing in the medical field. 

                        Allopathic Physician (M.D.)

Duties and Responsibilities: Physicians examine patients and obtain medical histories. They also perform and interpret diagnostic tests; and prescribe and administer treatment for people suffering from injury or disease.  They counsel patients about illness, injuries, health conditions and preventive healthcare. They can also conduct medical research, teach and run medical centers. Often additional medical tests are required, including blood work, to assess biochemical indicators of general health or specific diseases.  A physician often writes an order for a pharmaceutical for the patient to take to either alleviate symptoms or to treat the disorder.

Salary: $86,600- $750,000.

Education: Most MD programs require 4 years of study, including emphasis on basic science, clinical work, and social science. The first two years of most programs are generally aimed at classroom learning of basic science as it relates to medicine.  Subsequent years of most programs then focus on clinical training.

Reflection: Being Allopathic Physician (M.D.) sounds like the regular doctor that will usually be in your clinic trying to figure out what is wrong with you. I’ve seen how hard that is because you have so many patients waiting on you, you must have a lot of passions in order to deal with a job like that. With that being said I wouldn't like to be a Allopathic Physician.