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Attending physician vs doctor

The differences between attending physicians and doctors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a doctor has an average salary of $208,582, which is higher than the $200,702 average annual salary of an attending physician.

The top three skills for an attending physician include patients, primary care and surgery. The most important skills for a doctor are patients, customer service, and emergency medicine.

Attending physician vs doctor overview

Attending PhysicianDoctor
Yearly salary$200,702$208,582
Hourly rate$96.49$100.28
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs53,19514,571
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age4848
Years of experience4-

What does an attending physician do?

An Attending Physician typically supervises fellows, residents, medical students, and other practitioners. They are responsible for supervising each patient every day, reviewing treatment plans with residents, and supervising patient management documents.

What does a doctor do?

A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.

Attending physician vs doctor salary

Attending physicians and doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Attending PhysicianDoctor
Average salary$200,702$208,582
Salary rangeBetween $125,000 And $321,000Between $106,000 And $408,000
Highest paying CityMiami, FLGreen Bay, WI
Highest paying stateNew JerseyOhio
Best paying companyCommunity Health SystemsSaint Luke's Health System
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between attending physician and doctor education

There are a few differences between an attending physician and a doctor in terms of educational background:

Attending PhysicianDoctor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common majorMedicineMedicine
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborDuke University

Attending physician vs doctor demographics

Here are the differences between attending physicians' and doctors' demographics:

Attending PhysicianDoctor
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 36.5% Female, 63.5%Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between attending physician and doctor duties and responsibilities

Attending physician example responsibilities.

  • Manage neurological cancer research protocols: collected/organize data, assure compliance with protocol guidelines, manage study database and enroll patients.
  • Prepare patients for ultrasound guide injections and aspirations which includes draping patients, prepping medications and preparing sterile instruments.
  • Manage neurological cancer research protocols: collected/organize data, assure compliance with protocol guidelines, manage study database and enroll patients.
  • Monitor and manage patient medical records in compliance with HIPPA.

Doctor example responsibilities.

  • Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
  • Develop personalize treatment plans, rehabilitation plans, exercise plans, report of findings, nutritional plans and narrative reports.
  • Perform patient x-rays, provide MRI consultations.
  • Perform x-rays of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
  • Hire, train, educate and monitor staff in HIPPA policies and procedures.
  • Create, update, and maintain confidential patient EHRs in compliance with all HIPAA laws and regulations.
  • Show more

Attending physician vs doctor skills

Common attending physician skills
  • Patients, 35%
  • Primary Care, 8%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • Internal Medicine, 5%
  • BLS, 4%
  • Rehabilitation, 3%
Common doctor skills
  • Patients, 33%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Emergency Medicine, 5%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • DR, 4%
  • Cleanliness, 3%

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