Physician in 1025: Ibn Sina completes the Canon of Medicine

Most countries require roughly ten to eleven years after secondary school: four to six years of medical school followed by three or more years of residency in a specialty such as internal medicine, family medicine or pediatrics. The United Kingdom compresses medical school to five or six years but adds a two-year foundation programme before specialty training begins, so the total ends up similar.

What is the difference between a physician, a doctor and a general practitioner? In everyday English, "doctor" covers any licensed physician, including surgeons and specialists. "Physician" more precisely means a non-surgical doctor practicing internal medicine or a related specialty. A "general practitioner" or family doctor is a physician trained broadly rather than in one organ system, usually a patient's first point of contact and the one who decides which specialist, if any, a case needs next.

It varies enormously by country and specialty. Primary care physicians in the United States earn roughly $220,000 to $260,000 a year on average; NHS consultant physicians in England sit on a national scale from about £93,666 to £126,281; salaried internal medicine specialists in Germany typically earn €90,000 to €110,000. Physicians in lower-income countries often earn a small fraction of these figures despite comparable training.