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The differences between medical specialists and physicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a medical specialist, becoming a physician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a physician has an average salary of $238,887, which is higher than the $40,277 average annual salary of a medical specialist.
The top three skills for a medical specialist include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a physician are patients, surgery, and patient care.
| Medical Specialist | Physician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,277 | $238,887 |
| Hourly rate | $19.36 | $114.85 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 68,607 | 46,489 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 37 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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.
Physicians' general responsibility is to check, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition to improve their overall wellness. A physician could be General Practitioners or Specialist Physicians, wherein General Practitioners are physicians who provide regular checkups for patients depending on their needs and refer them to a Specialist Physicians who are more skilled in a particular field of expertise for a thorough diagnosis. Physicians monitor a patient's medical history and ensure follow-up checkups to observe if the condition of a patient is changing over time. A physician may refer a patient to other health professionals for further examination as needed.
Medical specialists and physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Specialist | Physician | |
| Average salary | $40,277 | $238,887 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $75,000 | Between $128,000 And $442,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Cleveland, TN |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Wisconsin |
| Best paying company | Adobe | Yuma Regional Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical specialist and a physician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Specialist | Physician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medicine |
| Most common college | - | Duke University |
Here are the differences between medical specialists' and physicians' demographics:
| Medical Specialist | Physician | |
| Average age | 37 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% | Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 13% |