Md vs medical specialist

The differences between mds and medical specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an md and a medical specialist. Additionally, an md has an average salary of $75,011, which is higher than the $40,277 average annual salary of a medical specialist.

The top three skills for an md include patients, customer service and surgical procedures. The most important skills for a medical specialist are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Md vs medical specialist overview

	MD	Medical Specialist
Yearly salary	$75,011	$40,277
Hourly rate	$36.06	$19.36
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	58,569	68,607
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

What does an md do?

A Doctor of Medicine or MD is the designation of a person who completed medical education. Generally, MDs focus on the treatment of conditions in need of medication. These doctors do health assessments, prescribe medication, run diagnostic tests, treat patients, and offer health and wellness advice. Among their health specialties are in the areas of neurology, gynecology, and dermatology. They may also perform surgery when necessary. All these are made possible with their knowledge and skills in medicine.

What does a medical specialist do?

Medical specialists are responsible for diagnosing patients and performing medical procedures according to their areas of expertise. They coordinate with the clinical team on administering medications, conducting laboratory examinations, and monitoring admitted patients, ensuring that they receive high-quality care services from the medical staff. A medical specialist also communicates with the patients' families to respond to their medical inquiries and concerns, as well as providing them with updates on the patients' progress. A medical specialist observes the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities at all times, including the inspection of medical tools and equipment for operations.

Md vs medical specialist salary

Mds and medical specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	MD	Medical Specialist
Average salary	$75,011	$40,277
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $224,000	Between $21,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Washington	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Atrium Health Floyd	Adobe
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between md and medical specialist education

There are a few differences between an md and a medical specialist in terms of educational background:

	MD	Medical Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

Md vs medical specialist demographics

Here are the differences between mds' and medical specialists' demographics:

	MD	Medical Specialist
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 47.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 9.0% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between md and medical specialist duties and responsibilities

Md example responsibilities.

Manage the office regarding Clia and OSHA laws and regulations
Manage on call pager for after hours triage and urgent matters while staying in complete communication with the physician.
Manage patient files by making new charts, keying all encounters through ICD-9 coding procedures and posting in patient database.
Operate electrocardiograph (EKG), call to schedule test for patients and routine office visits.
Back office responsibilities include rooming patients, obtaining vitals, chief complaint and documenting into EMR system.
Assist physicians in exams rooms, administer intramuscular injections and perform venipuncture on adult and pediatric patients.

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Medical specialist example responsibilities.

Administer first aid, medication, emergency medical treatment, CPR, triage, and evacuation procedures.
Provide tactical medical instruction and services in emergency medical care of patients in austere and complex, out-of-hospital environments.
Provide mass casualty triage support, including administering emergency treatment, stabilizing patients, and routing them to appropriate medical facilities.
Provide wound care, sutures, injections, and CPR as needed.
Take vitals, = collecting co-pays, appt scheduling, radiology scheduling, triage, etc.
Operate equipment such as: electrocardiograms (EKGs), external defibrillators, and bag-valve mask resuscitators in advance life-support environments.

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Md vs medical specialist skills

Common md skills

Patients, 33%
Customer Service, 8%
Surgical Procedures, 6%
Surgery, 5%
Patient Care, 5%
Vital Signs, 4%

Common medical specialist skills

Patients, 21%
Customer Service, 8%
Patient Care, 7%
Utilization Management, 5%
Medical Management, 4%
Patient Education, 4%

MD vs. similar jobs

MD related careers

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Updated January 8, 2025

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