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Resident Physician
HealthcareYou survived med school. Congratulations — now comes the hard part. You'll work 60-80 hour weeks for pay that, when divided by hours worked, is less than minimum wage. You'll make life-and-death decisions at 3 AM on four hours of sleep, and an attending will review your work and tell you everything you missed. It's brutal, transformative, and the only way to become a real doctor.
Salary Range
Low
$58k
Median
$65k
High
$75k
10-Year Growth
3%
US Workers
140K
Education
MD or DO degree + matched into a residency program (3-7 years depending on specialty)
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸History & physical examination
- ▸Medical decision-making
- ▸Procedure skills (central lines, intubation, lumbar puncture)
- ▸EHR documentation & order entry
- ▸Diagnostic imaging interpretation
- ▸Evidence-based medicine
- ▸ACLS/BLS certification
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Learning agility
- ▸Stress tolerance
- ▸Teamwork
- ▸Communication
- ▸Humility
- ▸Time management
- ▸Emotional resilience
Learn the skills
Courses and certifications to get you job-ready
EHR documentation & order entry
ACLS/BLS certification
What you'll actually do
- 01Round on patients at 5 AM so you can present to the attending by 7 AM
- 02Write admission notes, progress notes, and discharge summaries until your hands cramp
- 03Get grilled by attendings during teaching rounds — a daily exercise in public humility
- 04Manage a patient panel that grows faster than your ability to keep up
- 05Perform procedures under supervision — hands shaking optional but common
- 06Study for board exams in whatever free time you have (spoiler: you don't have any)
- 07Calculate your hourly wage and immediately wish you hadn't
Related Shifts
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