Emergency Medicine Physicians
29-1214.00

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Make immediate medical decisions and act to prevent death or further disability. Provide immediate recognition, evaluation, care, stabilization, and disposition of patients. May direct emergency medical staff in an emergency department.

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • Analyze records, examination information, or test results to diagnose medical conditions.
  • Assess patients' pain levels or sedation requirements.
  • Collect and record patient information, such as medical history or examination results, in electronic or handwritten medical records.
  • Communicate likely outcomes of medical diseases or traumatic conditions to patients or their representatives.
  • Conduct primary patient assessments that include information from prior medical care.
  • Consult with hospitalists and other professionals, such as social workers, regarding patients' hospital admission, continued observation, transition of care, or discharge.
  • Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, assistants, specialists, residents, and other medical staff.
  • Discuss patients' treatment plans with physicians and other medical professionals.
  • Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs and priority of treatment.
  • Identify factors that may affect patient management, such as age, gender, barriers to communication, and underlying disease.
  • Monitor patients' conditions, and reevaluate treatments, as necessary.
  • Perform emergency resuscitations on patients.
  • Perform such medical procedures as emergent cricothyrotomy, endotracheal intubation, and emergency thoracotomy.
  • Refer patients to specialists or other practitioners.
  • Select and prescribe medications to address patient needs.
  • Select, request, perform, or interpret diagnostic procedures, such as laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, emergency ultrasounds, and radiographs.
  • Stabilize patients in critical condition.

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Technology Skills

Hot technology
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.
In demand
In Demand skills are frequently included in employer job postings for this occupation.

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Occupational Requirements

Detailed Work Activities

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Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians.
SVP Range
(8.0 and above)

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Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
State licenses

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Apprenticeship Opportunities

Start your career and build your skillset. Visit Apprenticeship.gov external site to learn about opportunities related to this occupation.

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Worker Characteristics

Interests

Interest code: ISC
Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.
  • Investigative — Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
  • Social — Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
  • Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

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Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2022)
$115.00+ hourly, $239,200+ annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2022)
31,300 employees
Projected growth (2022-2032)
Average (2% to 4%)
Projected job openings (2022-2032)
900
State trends
Top industries (2022)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022 wage data external site and 2022-2032 employment projections external site. “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2022-2032). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

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Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

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More Information

Related Occupations

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Sources of Additional Information

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