Job Description of Allopathic Medicine
Do you know what the initials M.D. after your doctor's name mean? The letters stand for the Latin phrase medicinae doctor or Doctor of Medicine. Physicians with this title practice allopathic medicine. Allopathic or conventional medicine is the most common type of medical practice in the Western world. The scientific theory that supports the practice defines the job description of allopathic medicine.
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Definition
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Allopaths vaccinate against influenza. According to MedicineNet.com allopathic medicine is a "system of medical practice which treats disease by the use of remedies which produce effects different from those produced by the disease under treatment." For the lay person this means using pharmaceuticals, vaccines or surgery to treat disease or illness.
Theories/Speculation
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Allopaths use pharmaceuticals. Allopathic medicine developed as the primary Western model for treating illnesses in the middle of the 19th century. Allopathic theory sees the body as a biological machine with components that break down or become diseased by some external cause. Allopathic practitioners do not emphasize the effects of the mind or spirit on a person's ability to heal. They determine an outside cause, name it and prescribe treatment. Therefore, allopathic physicians work closely with the pharmaceutical industry.
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Primary Care
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Surgery is sometimes necessary. Most allopathic physicians work in hospitals, offices or clinics in a primary care setting. Dr. Darryl Kaelin is medical director of the Acquired Brain Injury Program at Sheperd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. His day begins at 7:30 a.m. seeing hospitalized patients. In the afternoon he sees discharged patients in the outpatient clinic. He prescribes medicines and specific treatment modalities such as heat, ice or exercise. He also consults with other physicians should interventions outside his specialty become necessary.
Research and Academics
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Research is important. Physician researchers work in laboratories looking for new treatments or cures for diseases such as cancer, genetic disorders and infectious diseases. Academic physicians work with health maintenance organizations (HMOs), pharmaceutical companies and in corporations on health and safety programs. They also teach medical students and residents. Kaelin also works as assistant clinical professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Emory University in Atlanta.
Education
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Education begins with a bachelor's degree with a concentration of prerequisite courses for medical school. These include: calculus, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics. To enroll in an approved medical school, graduates need a 3.5 grade point average (G.P.A.) and a score of 30 or more on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Successful candidates also accumulate a portfolio of medical related experiences during their undergraduate work.
Doctor of Medicine
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Doctors intern for a year after medical school graduation. They then complete a residency period of two to eight years in their specialty field. Physicians must pass the American Medical Association Board Examination in their specialty and then apply for a license to practice medicine. Licenses are issued by the states, and requirements vary from state to state. A doctor's education is ongoing and continuing education units are necessary to keep a license current. Projected incomes range from a low of $150,000 per year upwards to the $1 million range depending upon the practice.
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References
- Photo Credit doctor desk image by dinostock from Fotolia.com influenza vaccine image by Keith Frith from Fotolia.com drugs image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com The doctor and the patient image by Vladimir Usatschenko from Fotolia.com laboratory image by Vasiliy Koval from Fotolia.com
