Doctors are professionals who practice medicine and whose aim is to care for the health of the people they look after, alleviating or eliminating their suffering. To achieve this, they work, on one hand, in the prevention and promotion of health in the social environment and, on the other, in the care and rehabilitation of the sick person, trying to maintain and recover his/her health through the study, diagnosis and treatment of the patient's illness or injury.

These professionals mainly work in the public health network (primary care centres, hospitals, etc.) and in private medical centres. But they can also work in centres dedicated to research and scientific investigation, integrated into numerous public and private health instructions and in all those tasks related to the defence and promotion of health.

These professionals are known as doctors, even if they have not completed doctoral studies. However, depending on their specialty, they may receive other names that refer to their area of expertise: psychiatrist, surgeon, anaesthetist, cardiologist, paediatrician, gynaecologist, etc.

• Attend to people and carry out primary care consultations.
• Interview the person and draw up individual and family medical records.
• Perform a physical examination of the person according to the discomforts expressed. Different instruments and equipment can be used for this examination.
• Recognise specific signs and symptoms of particular conditions or diseases, outlining the diagnosis.
• If necessary, request complementary examinations and tests to confirm the diagnosis.
• Decide on treatment, prescribe medication, or refer to procedures appropriate for each person.
• Coordinate patient referral to other medical specialities or transfer and admissions in specialised services, if necessary.
• Inform the person and family members clearly and tactfully of the nature of the illness and prognosis, considering the treatment and possible complications that may arise.
• Record the details of the visit, the guidelines prescribed and prepare medical reports when required.
• Supervise the progress of the person and the functioning of the treatment in cases that require periodic follow-up or monitoring, especially in chronic or terminal processes.

• In coordination with other professionals, develop preventive medicine programmes, aimed at early diagnosis or the implementation of preventive measures (e.g., by collaborating in vaccination campaigns).
• Contribute to the health education of the population in order to promote healthy habits and disease prevention techniques.

• Actively participate in medical students' research and teaching programmes.
• Follow a programme of continuous training.
  

Regulated training and graduates

• Grau: Medicina

Complementary training

Learning and use of knowledge: Level 1

Initiative: Level 2

Customer orientation: Level 3

Analytical thought: Level 3

Team work and cooperation: Level 2

Healthcare

Working to maintain and improve health, as well as physical and mental well-being, is the primary interest of people who are involved in the field of healthcare. Some of the activities in this field include making diagnoses, prescribing treatments and monitoring illnesses and injuries. These activities also include the application of therapeutic treatments (traditional or alternative) with a view to facilitating the physical recovery of those being treated. To carry out these activities, one must have in-depth knowledge of the human body and medicine, in its various specialisations.

Nutritionist

Performing Arts Doctor

Naturopath

Optometrist

Homeopath

• Work hours

  Full-time job. Depending on the characteristics of the centre where these professionals work, they usually have to work in shifts, on weekends and holidays, and with on-call shifts.

• Salary

  In the case of public health, the estimated remuneration for doctors who have already completed their residency ranges between 40,000 and 60,000 euros gross per year, a variation that responds to the various supplements that can modify the salary: seniority, management position, holiday and night shift bonus, among others.
  In private healthcare, this remuneration may be much higher and will depend on the prestige, experience and specialty of these professionals.

• Professional category

  Technician