Archive - Specialist Physicians (NOC 3111)

Published: 2 October 2014

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If you are interested in working as a Specialist Physician in Canada, you will be pleased to know that the job outlook for your occupation in Canada is extremely positive.

You can use this overview of the Canadian employment prospects in your field to start planning your immigration and settlement in Canada.

specialist-physicians

Important statistics for this occupation:

  • Canada is in need of medical workers across the country, as demand for health services is growing faster than the labour market can meet.
  • Some specialist physicians can transition to jobs in university teaching or healthcare management.
  • About 20% of workers in this field are immigrants, almost twice the national occupational average.
  • 73% of Specialist Physicians work in hospitals, and a further 23% in private offices.
  • Approximately 40% of workers in this field are women.
  • In Ontario, workers in this field make on average $186,000 a year.

Duties for Specialist Physicians

This unit group includes specialist physicians in clinical medicine, in laboratory medicine and in surgery. Specialists in clinical medicine diagnose and treat diseases and physiological or psychiatric disorders and act as consultants to other physicians. Specialists in laboratory medicine study the nature, cause and development of diseases in humans. Specialists in surgery perform and supervise surgical procedures. Specialists in clinical medicine usually work in private practice or in a hospital while those in laboratory medicine and in surgery usually work in hospitals. Residents in training to become specialist physicians are included in this unit group.

Description of Main Duties

Specialists in clinical medicine perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Diagnose and treat diseases and physiological or psychiatric disorders
  • Order laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures
  • Prescribe medication and treatment and refer patients for surgery
  • Act as consultants to other physicians
  • May conduct medical research.

Specialists in laboratory medicine perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Study the nature, cause and development of diseases in humans and the structural and functional changes caused by diseases
  • Conduct microscopic and chemical analyses of laboratory samples and specimens
  • Supervise laboratory activities
  • Act as consultants to other physicians.

Specialists in surgery perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Assess patients' diseases or disorders to determine appropriate surgical procedures
  • Perform and supervise surgical procedures to correct physical abnormalities and deficiencies and repair injuries
  • Act as consultants to other physicians.

Example job titles for Specialist Phsyicians:

Specialists in clinical medicine

  • Anesthetist
  • Cardiologist
  • Clinical immunologist-allergist
  • Dermatologist
  • Diagnostic radiologist
  • Emergency physician
  • Endocrinologist
  • Gastroenterologist
  • Geriatrician
  • Hematologist
  • Nephrologist
  • Neurologist
  • Oncologist
  • Orthopedist
  • Pediatrician
  • Physiatrist
  • Pneumologist
  • Psychiatrist
  • Radiation oncologist
  • Respirologist
  • Rheumatologist

Specialists in laboratory medicine

  • Anatomical pathologist
  • General pathologist
  • Hematopathologist
  • Medical biochemist
  • Medical microbiologist
  • Neuropathologist

Specialists in surgery

  • Cardiac surgeon
  • General surgeon
  • Neurosurgeon
  • Obstetrician-gynecologist
  • Ophthalmologist
  • Orthopedic surgeon
  • Otorhinolaryngologist
  • Pediatric surgeon
  • Plastic surgeon
  • Thoracic surgeon
  • Urologist
  • Vascular surgeon

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