Occupation · SOC 29-1299
Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other
All healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners not listed separately.
Median wage
$113,730
$65,210–$194,000
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
30,870
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
55 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingWriting
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageBiologyPsychology
Technology & tools
Spreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareElectronic mail softwareWord processing softwareMedical software
Representative tasks
Document patients' histories, including identifying data, chief complaints, illnesses, previous medical or family histories, or psychosocial characteristics.Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements.Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.Provide instructions to patients or family members concerning diagnoses or treatment plans.Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing.Provide nonsurgical interventions, including corrective lenses, patches, drops, fusion exercises, or stereograms, to treat conditions such as strabismus, heterophoria, and convergence insufficiency.Advise patients about therapeutic exercise and nutritional medicine regimens.Educate patients about health care management.Conduct physical examinations and physiological function tests for diagnostic purposes.Administer, dispense, or prescribe natural medicines, such as food or botanical extracts, herbs, dietary supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and amino acids.Interview patients to document symptoms and health histories.Develop nonsurgical treatment plans for patients with conditions such as strabismus, nystagmus, and other visual disorders.Diagnose health conditions, based on patients' symptoms and health histories, laboratory and diagnostic radiology test results, or other physiological measurements, such as electrocardiograms and electroencephalographs.Interpret clinical or diagnostic test results.Develop or use special test and communication techniques to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of children or patients with disabilities.Administer treatments or therapies, such as homeopathy, hydrotherapy, Oriental or Ayurvedic medicine, electrotherapy, and diathermy, using physical agents including air, heat, cold, water, sound, or ultraviolet light to catalyze the body to heal itself.Consult with other health professionals to provide optimal patient care, referring patients to traditional health care professionals as necessary.Order diagnostic imaging procedures such as radiographs (x-rays), ultrasounds, mammograms, and bone densitometry tests, or refer patients to other health professionals for these procedures.Provide training related to clinical methods or orthoptics to students, resident physicians, or other health professionals.Maintain professional development through activities such as postgraduate education, continuing education, preceptorships, and residency programs.Refer patients to ophthalmic surgeons or other physicians.Obtain medical records from previous physicians or other health care providers for the purpose of patient evaluation.Prepare diagnostic or treatment reports for other medical practitioners or therapists.Collaborate with ophthalmologists, optometrists, or other specialists in the diagnosis, treatment, or management of conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal diseases.Conduct periodic public health maintenance activities such as immunizations and screenings for diseases and disease risk factors.Monitor updates from public health agencies to keep abreast of health trends.Perform venipuncture or skin pricking to collect blood samples.Perform mobilizations and high-velocity adjustments to joints or soft tissues, using principles of massage, stretching, or resistance.Perform vision screening of children in schools or community health centers.Present or publish scientific papers.Prescribe synthetic drugs under the supervision of medical doctors or within the allowances of regulatory bodies.Participate in clinical research projects.Report patterns of patients' health conditions, such as disease status and births, to public health agencies.Treat minor cuts, abrasions, or contusions.Assist ophthalmologists in diagnostic ophthalmic procedures, such as ultrasonography, fundus photography, and tonometry.Perform minor surgical procedures, such as removing warts, moles, or cysts, sampling tissues for skin cancer or lipomas, and applying or removing sutures.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient medical histories — collect and record using standardized intake forms under supervising practitioner guidance in a clinical setting.Neuromusculoskeletal assessment protocols — apply foundational chiropractic diagnostic frameworks under direct oversight during initial patient evaluations.Patient health complaints — observe and document using structured questioning techniques while shadowing experienced clinicians.Spinal anatomy and biomechanics — identify key structures and articulations by referencing clinical resources during supervised patient encounters.Active listening skills — demonstrate during patient intake interviews to ensure accurate symptom capture in a supervised outpatient clinic.Chiropractic adjustment techniques — perform basic manual procedures on practice models or under close practitioner supervision in a clinical training environment.Medical software platforms — enter and retrieve patient records using electronic health record systems with guidance from clinical staff.Diagnostic findings — document in written clinical notes using approved terminology under review by a licensed supervising practitioner.Health and safety protocols — follow established infection-control and patient-safety procedures in compliance with clinic standards.Foundational biology and physiology knowledge — apply to recognize normal versus abnormal musculoskeletal presentations during supervised patient assessments.
developing
Patient health histories — obtain independently and synthesize into coherent clinical summaries for routine cases in an outpatient chiropractic practice.Neuromusculoskeletal system function — evaluate using established chiropractic diagnostic criteria with reduced oversight across a standard patient caseload.Differential diagnoses — formulate for common musculoskeletal conditions by integrating patient history, observation, and physical examination findings in a clinical setting.Spinal and articular adjustments — perform a practiced series of manual techniques on diverse patient populations following evidence-based treatment protocols.Patient communication — convey diagnostic findings and treatment rationale clearly to patients with varying health literacy levels in a solo practice environment.Clinical progress notes — write and maintain accurate, compliant documentation using electronic medical record software across daily patient encounters.Social perceptiveness — apply during patient interactions to detect non-verbal cues that inform modifications to treatment plans in a routine clinical context.Referral decisions — exercise sound professional judgment when patient presentations exceed chiropractic scope, coordinating with other healthcare providers.Treatment outcomes — monitor across scheduled follow-up visits to assess patient response and adjust care plans within established clinical guidelines.Office suite and medical software tools — utilize proficiently to manage scheduling, correspondence, and patient data in a small to mid-size clinic.
proficient
Complex neuromusculoskeletal conditions — diagnose autonomously by integrating advanced chiropractic evaluation systems, imaging interpretation, and clinical reasoning across a full patient population.Comprehensive patient health histories — review and critically analyze to uncover underlying systemic factors influencing musculoskeletal dysfunction in a high-volume or specialty practice.Non-routine spinal and articular cases — manage independently by selecting and applying advanced manual adjustment protocols tailored to individual patient pathophysiology.Clinical decision-making — exercise under conditions of diagnostic ambiguity, synthesizing deductive and inductive reasoning to determine optimal treatment pathways.Multidisciplinary care coordination — lead for complex patients requiring collaboration with physicians, physical therapists, and mental health providers across integrated health systems.Patient outcomes data — analyze systematically using clinical software and spreadsheet tools to evaluate practice effectiveness and inform evidence-based treatment refinements.Critical appraisal of clinical literature — perform to incorporate current research findings into diagnostic and therapeutic protocols within a professional practice environment.Psychological and psychosocial factors — assess for their contribution to chronic pain presentations, integrating counseling principles into holistic patient management.Patient education resources — develop and deliver, translating complex diagnostic information into accessible guidance that supports long-term self-management.Ethical and legal standards — uphold rigorously in all documentation, informed-consent processes, and scope-of-practice decisions throughout autonomous clinical practice.
advanced
Clinical competency frameworks — design and implement for healthcare diagnosing and treating practitioners across an organization, institution, or professional association.Diagnostic and treatment standards — establish at the organizational or regional level by synthesizing current evidence, regulatory requirements, and community health needs.Emerging chiropractic and integrative health research — champion and translate into institutional policy, shaping scope-of-practice evolution within healthcare systems.Mentorship and clinical education programs — lead for graduate-level students and early-career practitioners, cultivating advanced diagnostic and manual therapy skills across training cohorts.Interprofessional care models — architect within hospital systems, accountable-care organizations, or large group practices to optimize patient outcomes across the care continuum.Quality improvement initiatives — direct using outcomes monitoring, data analytics, and process redesign to elevate clinical performance across a multi-provider practice or health network.Healthcare policy advocacy — represent the practitioner community before regulatory bodies, shaping licensure standards and scope-of-practice legislation at the state or national level.Organizational strategy — guide for practice growth, technology adoption, and workforce development in alignment with evolving patient population needs and healthcare market dynamics.Research and scholarship — lead as principal investigator or senior collaborator, generating original evidence that advances diagnostic methodology or treatment efficacy in the field.Ethical leadership — model and enforce the highest standards of patient integrity, professional conduct, and interdisciplinary respect throughout an organization or professional body.
Also known as
73 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
InternOrthopedistSanipractic PhysicianRehabilitation Program CoordinatorLactation ConsultantResidentTuberculosis SpecialistReflexologistOculistHerb DoctorHematologistHealth TherapistKinesiologistHealth OfficerColon TherapistElectrotherapistNaturopathMedical SpecialistHospice FellowHerbalistHeliotherapistOtorhinolaryngologistNaturopathic DoctorNeonatologistDoctor of NaprapathyNaturopathic PhysicianMedical ExaminerHolistic Health PractitionerCardiovascular Disease SpecialistPhysiatristLaryngologistMedical ResidentManual Arts TherapistCorrective and Manual Arts TherapistDoctor of MedicineMagnetic DoctorMedicine ManHerb CounselorImmunologistDrugless Doctor