What Do Allergists and Immunologists Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Allergists and Immunologists diagnose, treat, and help prevent allergic diseases and disease processes affecting the immune system. They also diagnose or treat allergic or immunologic conditions.

Other tasks include:

• Order or perform diagnostic tests such as skin pricks and intradermal, patch, or delayed hypersensitivity tests.
• Educate patients about diagnoses, prognoses, or treatments.
• Develop individualized treatment plans for patients, considering patient preferences, clinical data, or the risks and benefits of therapies.
• Prescribe medication such as antihistamines, antibiotics, and nasal, oral, topical, or inhaled glucocorticosteroids.
• Document patients’ medical histories.
• Conduct physical examinations of patients.

We asked Allergists and Immunologists how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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74% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Allergists and Immunologists prescribe medication such as antihistamines, antibiotics, and nasal, oral, topical, or inhaled glucocorticosteroids. They diagnose or treat allergic or immunologic conditions.

A typical day for an Allergist and Immunologist will also include:

• Conduct physical examinations of patients.
• Document patients’ medical histories.
• Develop individualized treatment plans for patients, considering patient preferences, clinical data, or the risks and benefits of therapies.
• Educate patients about diagnoses, prognoses, or treatments.
• Interpret diagnostic test results to make appropriate differential diagnoses.

We asked some Allergists and Immunologists a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	100% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	65% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	78% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	44% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	98% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Allergists and Immunologists also engage in self-directed learning and continuing education activities. They may also perform allergen provocation tests such as nasal, conjunctival, bronchial, oral, food, or medication challenges.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Allergists and Immunologists Provide allergy or immunology consultation or education to physicians or other health care providers. They might also Conduct laboratory or clinical research on allergy or immunology topics.

In addition, they Provide therapies, such as allergen immunotherapy or immunoglobin therapy, to treat immune conditions.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Order or perform diagnostic tests such as skin pricks and intradermal, patch, or delayed hypersensitivity tests.

To some Allergists and Immunologists, it is also their responsibility to Document patients’ medical histories.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as an Allergist and Immunologist, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home.html

http://www.ama-assn.org/

http://www.abms.org/