We are in the final few weeks of 2021 – can you believe it?! It was a bit different than 2020; a little less quarantine but a lot more talk about the job market. It seems to be a good time to be graduating with so many vacancies! Because of this, to close out the year, we’re going to be listing the top 5 careers of 2021 as according to U.S. News and highlighting some great schools to prepare you for making that leap. 

According to U.S. News, the #5 top career of 2021 is Physician. A Physician is a blanket term for someone in the medical field who is authorized to diagnose and treat patients on a range of medical concerns: Think, primary care physician, obstetrician, pediatrician, immunologist, etc. They fall under Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) and go through years of education and training.

Yes, the path to becoming a physician is long, with it taking an average of 10-14 years before becoming fully licensed, but the payoff is good and, of course, rewarding. Though, we’re sure most will say it takes a lifetime before those medical school loans are paid off, especially with the average cost of medical school being around $54,000 per year.

The education path of a physician:

Undergraduate/Pre-med > Medical school > Specialty residency program

While a top 5 list of any kind has many variables for interpretation (especially in the medical field), here are 5 of the best medical schools in the US:

• Harvard University
• New York University
• Duke University
• Columbia University
• Stanford University

Over the next 10 years, employment opportunities for physicians is projected to grow by 3% according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. News records show that for 2021, the median salary of a physician is $206,500.

Are you currently a physician or looking to become one? Let us know in the comments below – We’d love to hear from you!

Cover photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash