REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A DOCTOR

Last Updated on January 17, 2023

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The 7 Steps to Becoming a Doctor: A Complete Guide

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Medicine is one of the most challenging yet rewarding fields a student can enter. But before you decide whether becoming a doctor is right for you, it’s important that you know every step you’ll have to take along the way.

Here, I’ll walk you through exactly how to become a doctor, starting with high school. This career is definitely not for everyone—it requires huge investments of time, money, and effort—but if this path is right for you, this guide is what you should read to start preparing yourself early for a successful career as a doctor.

What Is the Career Outlook for Medical Doctors?

Medicine is a super competitive and rigorous field: doctors have a lot of responsibility and must spend tons of time and money on their training. Healthcare is also a growing field, which means that the demand for doctors will continue to increase in the coming years.

As long as you do all the necessary steps below, you shouldn’t have any issue finding a job as a doctor.

Let’s take a look at the career outlook for physicians and surgeons using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

  • 2018 Median Pay: Greater than or equal to $208,000 per year
  • Job Growth Rate (2018-28): 7%, which is a little faster than the current average growth rate of 5%; this means that there will likely be an increase in demand for doctors

Note that pay and job outlook can vary depending on what type of doctor you want to be, so if you have a particular specialty in mind (such as dermatology or rheumatology), I encourage you to do your own research on that field’s projected career outlook.

To lend you a hand, we’ve created the following chart, which presents the median salaries and job outlooks for various types of doctors (arranged in order of highest salary to lowest):

Type of DoctorMedian Salary (2018)Job Growth Rate (2018-2028)
Anesthesiologists≥$208,0004%
Obstetricians and gynecologists≥$208,0002%
Psychiatrists≥$208,00016%
Surgeons≥$208,0001%
Family and general practitioners$201,10010%
Physicians and surgeons, all other$200,8908%
Internists, general$194,5004%
Pediatricians, general$170,5602%

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

How to Become a Doctor: 7-Step Career Path Overview

Becoming a doctor is a pretty complex, multi-step process. Here are the seven major steps we’ll be covering in more detail below (you can skip around by clicking the links to each step):

Step 1: Do well in high school
Step 2: Get into a great college
Step 3: Take the MCAT (and get a good score)
Step 4: Apply and get into medical school
Step 5: Attend medical school and pass your boards to become a licensed doctor
Step 6: Choose your specialty and complete your residency
Step 7: Take and pass your final boards to practice independently

Still interested in how to become a doctor? Time to get into the nitty-gritty of each major step.

Step 1: Do Well in High School

If you’re serious about becoming a doctor, you’ll do yourself a big favor by getting focused in high school. As mentioned, this is a pretty competitive field, so the earlier you start distinguishing yourself as a great student, the easier the process will be.

Here’s what you can do in high school to help prepare you for later steps.

Focus on Science and Math

To fulfill all pre-med requirements in college (I’ll get to that in a bit), you’ll have to take quite a few science and math classes. Lay a solid foundation by taking a science and math course every year, and make it a priority to take advanced and/or AP coursesYou’ll also want to keep your GPA (in these classes and all others) as high as possible.

This is an important step because it gives you a tiny glimpse into what college and medical school will be like. If you don’t enjoy science and math courses in high school, it’s unlikely you’ll enjoy them later on. Use this as an opportunity to think critically about whether you’d like to pursue this career.

One of the single most important parts of your college application is what classes you choose to take in high school (in conjunction with how well you do in those classes). Our team of PrepScholar admissions experts have compiled their knowledge into this single guide to planning out your high school course schedule. We’ll advise you on how to balance your schedule between regular and honors/AP/IB courses, how to choose your extracurriculars, and what classes you can’t afford not to take.

Plan Your Course Schedule

Do Plenty of Community Service

Being a good doctor isn’t just about being a science and math whiz—it’s about being invested in caring for other people. Show how you care about helping others by volunteering consistently in high school.

It’s best if you can do volunteer work that’s at least somewhat related to healthcare. You might see whether there are any opportunities at a nearby hospital or clinic (for example, I had friends in high school who helped escort people who were visiting family members in the hospital). These volunteer opportunities can also help you decide fairly early whether a career in medicine is something you’re actually interested in pursuing.

Of course, you don’t have to volunteer exclusively in healthcare environments—any community service opportunity in which you’re helping other people is a good fit. Read more about the benefits of community service, and then check out our list of the best places to volunteer.

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Is working in healthcare a good fit for you? Volunteering in the field is a great way to find out.

Get a Great Score on the ACT/SAT

To get into a great medical school, it helps to go to a great college. And to get into a great college, it helps to get a high score on the SAT/ACT.

Plan on taking your first test by the end of your junior year—this gives you time to take your test of choice again if you want to try to raise your scores.

Read these guides for more info on how to get a great SAT/ACT score:

  • What counts as a good, bad, or average ACT or SAT score?
  • How can you get a perfect score on the ACT or SAT?
  • How long should you study for the ACT or SAT?

Submit Stellar College Applications

Your senior fall will be all about researching and applying to colleges. You don’t necessarily need to go to a school with a dedicated pre-med program, but it’ll be better if your college or university has strong science and math programs, since these will be more helpful in preparing you for the MCAT and med school.

If you want to go to a top-tier private school, you’ll have to submit applications with the following:

Some great public schools might not require letters of rec or applications essays. Nevertheless, it’s wise to start preparing these materials early on in the college application process if you think you’ll apply to any colleges that do require them.

If you’re still working on college research, I suggest checking out these guides:

Step 2: Get Into a Great College

College is where you really start focusing your studies and preparing for a career in medicine. Here’s everything you should do as an undergraduate to prepare yourself for the next major step in becoming a doctor: medical school.

Meet All Pre-Med Requirements

Most medical schools require students to have taken a series of courses as undergraduates. This ensures that they have strong foundational knowledge in math and science and will be well prepared for the more advanced courses they’ll have to take as med students.

Here are the core classes that most medical schools require:

  • Two semesters of biology with laboratory
  • Two semesters of inorganic chemistry with laboratory
  • Two semesters of organic chemistry with laboratory
  • Two semesters of math (at least one in calculus)
  • Two semesters of physics with laboratory
  • Two semesters of English and/or writing

This comes to 12 course requirements at minimum, which doesn’t give you a ton of wiggle room if you also have to meet requirements for a major without much pre-med overlap (e.g., foreign languages or studio art). Because of this, many pre-med students choose related majors such as biology or chemistry—this makes it much easier to meet both pre-med requirements and the requirements for your major.

If you decide later in college that you’d like to apply to medical school but you know you don’t have time to fit in all these requirements, don’t panic. It’s fairly common for people to wrap up pre-med requirements by taking an extra semester or two in college (some schools call these students “super seniors”).

You might also look into full-time post-bac programs if you have more than a few requirements left to fulfill. These options mean extra time and extra expenses, but they’re helpful (and sometimes necessary) steps to take before applying to med school.

Keep Your Grades Up

Your transcript will be a very important part of your med school applications, so your academic performance should really be your #1 priority as you work your way through college.

Build Relationships With Professors and Mentors

You’ll need a few strong letters of recommendation from respected faculty members when you submit your med school applications—use this fact to motivate you to network with as many people as possible.

Develop relationships with professors and mentors by going to their office hours, actively participating in class, and taking opportunities to work on research projects.

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Your nerdy professors will prove to be invaluable resources when you’re applying to med school, but only if you have relationships with them!

Get Some Research Experience

Having some research experience under your belt is a big plus for med school applications, especially if you can squeeze in a publication or two. Working in a biology or chemistry lab would probably be most helpful for medical school.

There are a couple ways you can get research experience as an undergraduate:

  • Work as a research assistant (paid or unpaid) in an on-campus lab or at an off-campus research institute. Look at campus job postings or approach specific professors in your department about potential lab openings. If you don’t have time during the semester to take on extra work, consider summer opportunities.
  • Complete an undergraduate thesis, which involves research work. This usually requires a professor to officially take you on as their student. Each school (and each department within a school) will have its own procedures and policies for undergraduate theses, so educate yourself early on (i.e., during freshman year) if you’re interested in this track.

Continue With Community Service

Medical schools are going to look at your community service record as an important part of your application. You should make time for volunteer work in college just as you did in high school.

The good news is that it should be easier to find relevant advocacy and community service clubs and organizations in college. Here are a few example activities you might be interested in (although this list is by no means exhaustive):

  • Volunteering at a homeless shelter
  • Joining a public health advocacy society or organization
  • Volunteering at a nursing home or engaging in other forms of elder care (e.g., Meals on Wheels)
  • Joining a peer counseling organization

It’s better to stick with a few clubs or activities over the long term, as opposed to jumping around between activities year after year. This demonstrates that you’re consistent and reliable; it also opens up opportunities for leadership roles, which will prove to be a big plus for your med school applications.

Step 3: Take (and Ace!) the MCAT

The Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, is used as a predictor of your success in med school, and as such is weighted pretty heavily when compared to other parts of your application.

Most students take the MCAT their junior year—this is arguably the most optimal time to take the test. Why? Because by this point you will have gone through many of your pre-med courses, making studying for the MCAT a lot easier.

MCAT Scoring and Logistics

In total, it takes seven and a half hours to complete the MCAT. The sections on the test include the following:

  • Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
  • Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
  • Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
  • Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

Each section is scored on a range from 118 to 132, with a median score of 125. You’ll receive an individual score for each section in addition to an overall score. Total scores range from 472 to 578, with the average score sitting at about 500.

This scoring system is still relatively new (since 2015), so there isn’t much historical data available we can use to predict what a good or “safe” MCAT score will be for med school admissions. Current percentiles indicate that around 50% of test takers score 500, and 74% score 508, or what MCAT-Prep.com calls a “good” MCAT score. As such, the new MCAT encourages admissions officers to look favorably upon students who score around 500 or above.

The MCAT is administered 30 times per year, so you have quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to scheduling the test. Be prepared for some hefty expenses—it costs $320-$375 to register for the test depending on how far in advance you sign up. There are Fee Assistance Programs available for students who might not be able to shoulder these expenses.

After your scores are calculated, they’re automatically released to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS); you won’t have to submit them separately to any schools unless they don’t use AMCAS.

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If you’re adequately prepared the first time you take the MCAT, you could save yourself the cost of an extra registration fee.

Studying for the MCAT

Plan on studying 200-300 hours if you want to do well on the test. Since it’s a seven-and-a-half-hour exam, you really don’t want to have to take it twice.

There are several different ways you can prep for the MCAT:

  • Independent study: This might work for students at schools with strong pre-med support who are also performing well in their classes. Solid foundational knowledge is the most important factor that affects performance on the MCAT, but students would still, of course, need to spend significant time preparing.
  • MCAT prep course: Pre-med students commonly take prep courses when they want a solid review schedule to keep them on track. There’s a lot of material to cover, and a good course helps ensure that there aren’t any major gaps in your content knowledge or strategy. They can be very expensive, unfortunately, with most costing several thousand dollarsKaplan and The Princeton Review are a couple of the most popular options.
  • Online prep: Online resources can offer a great combination of structure and flexibility when you’re working to cover a lot of material. Khan Academy provides some free study material if you’re looking for a place to start, though it won’t suffice if you’re putting together a full study plan. Dr. Flowers Test Prep is another, more comprehensive resource for online prep.
  • Private tutor: Students whose grades aren’t up to par or who have done poorly on the MCAT before might want to consider this option. If you decide to hire a tutor, pick someone with glowing recommendations and years of tutoring experience. They won’t come cheap, but they’re also less likely to waste your time and money.

You can also buy an official practice test for the MCAT through the Association of American Medical Colleges for $35, in addition to other official study guides and prep materials.

Step 4: Apply and Get Into Medical School

The medical school application process is extremely long. If you want to start med school the fall after you graduate from college, you’ll have to start your applications your junior year.

Research Medical Schools

The average student applies to about 13 schools to optimize their chances of getting in—I wouldn’t recommend that you put together a list much smaller than that.

The Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) website is one of the best tools for looking into important medical school information. For a $28 year-long subscription, you can easily access the following:

  • Acceptance rates
  • Average MCAT and GPA of applicants and accepted students
  • Numbers of out-of-state students
  • Application requirements
  • Application deadlines

As with any school or program, there are med school ranking lists. Because US medical schools’ admissions criteria and curricula are so stringent and rigorous, though, admission to any school in the country should be considered an accomplishment. If you end up in medical school and follow through with a residency at a good hospital, you’ll have no trouble finding work as a doctor.

Know the Different Types of Medical Schools

There are two types of physicians in the US:

  • Allopathic physicians (MDs)
  • Osteopathic physicians (DOs)

Both types are fully licensed physicians and are often very similar in the way that they practice medicine—they just receive degrees from slightly different types of programs.

We’re most used to hearing about doctors with MDs, so if you’re not familiar with DOs, I encourage you to do more research on these types of programs. DOs receive additional specialty training in certain areas, including using the hands to diagnose/treat illnesses and injuries.

You can read more about osteopathic medicine on the American Osteopathic Association site.

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Allopathic or osteopathic: which type of med school is right for you?

Put Together Your Med School Application

There are three parts of the med school application process.

Part 1: Primary Application

You send in your primary application by June the year before your first year of med school. Most med schools use AMCAS, which is like a Common Application for med schools.

This application includes official transcripts, a personal statement, your resume/CV, and your MCAT scores. Start preparing these materials a few months before submission.

Part 2: Secondary Application

This usually happens in July-August on a typical application timeline (i.e., one on which you submit the primary application in June). At this point, a school will either reject your primary application or ask you to complete its secondary application.

The secondary application will differ for each school you apply to. Sometimes, schools just ask you to submit an application fee to continue with the application process. Other times, though, schools send fairly extensive lists of essay prompts (e.g., “Why are you interested in attending this medical school?”) for you to answer.

If the medical school is happy with your primary and secondary applications, you’ll move on to the next part.

Part 3: Interview

If a school definitely does (or definitely does not) want to interview you, you’ll hear back from them pretty quickly. Some students are left in limbo for a while as schools deliberate over what to do with them.

Interviews are the final decision-making phase. Your interview will either make or break your application. Preparing for interviews is tough because each school (and each interviewer) will have its own priorities and questions.

Overall, you want to come off (1) committed to the medical track, (2) confident in your abilities, (3) eager to learn, (4) warm and empathetic, and (5) grateful for the opportunity to be there.

Step 5: Attend Medical School and Pass Your Boards

After fulfilling all the pre-med requirements and submitting all those applications, you finally arrive here: medical school. You’ll spend four years here, but that doesn’t mean the experience will be very similar to that of your undergraduate education—there are more decisions to be made, more opportunities for hands-on experiences, and more professional licensing requirements to worry about.

Here’s an overview of what these four years of med school will look like:

  • Years 1-2: Primarily classroom-based courses
  • Year 3: Training in each major medical specialty (also known as rotations)
  • Year 4: Primarily elective courses based on preferred specialty

There are some other important steps along the way, such as board exams, that I’ll address in this section as well.

Years 1-2: Classroom Work

You won’t have much say in what courses you’ll take during your first two years of medical school. Your education during this time will be an extension of your pre-med requirements—you’ll take many advanced courses that will give you the important biological, anatomical, and chemical foundations you’ll need to work as a physician.

These courses will obviously have an important impact on your GPA, which will affect how competitive you are when you’re matched for your residency/internship (we’ll get to that shortly). As such, it’s important to keep your grades up—your future self will thank you!

At the end of your second year, you’ll take the United States Medical Licensing Examination, or the USMLE-1. This test assesses your medical competency to see whether you should continue with your education and medical licensure (another name for the USMLE exams is “Boards”).

At most med schools, you need to pass this exam in order to progress to your third year of school.

Year 3: Rotations

In your third year, you’ll start working with patients in a medical setting (under a supervisor) within different medical specialties. This helps you gain hands-on experience as a physician, but, perhaps more importantly, you’ll learn more about what sort of specialty you may be interested in.

After the bulk of your rotations experiences in your third year, you’ll have to decide what sort of medicine you’d like to pursue. This decision will dictate what kinds of elective courses you’ll take in your fourth and final year of med school, as well as how long you’ll spend in your residency (we give more information on this in the Residency section below).

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Med school rotations are a bit more productive than the one the hamster’s doing on this wheel.

Year 4: Pursuing Your Specialty

As you now know, your fourth year of med school is dedicated mainly to taking elective courses to prepare you for your preferred specialty and continuing gaining hands-on experience. You’ll also take the USMLE Level 2 (which is similar to the first examination, except that it simply tests more advanced knowledge); this exam includes a clinical knowledge part and a clinical skills portion.

Step 6: Complete Your Residency

Residencies, also known as internships, are supervised positions at teaching hospitals. You will be matched to an available residency position through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

You’ll be able to note your preferences, but you won’t have ultimate decision-making power over your matches. Once the NRMP sets you up, you sort of have to take what you’re given.

You will spend at least three years in your residency program but may spend more time there depending on your specialty. In your first year, you’ll be known as an intern and will be at the bottom of the totem pole—but not for long.

During your residency, you’ll also need to pass your final licensing exam (USMLE-3). The third and final licensing exam is taken during the first year of your residency. It tests your ability to utilize your medical knowledge and provide care in an unsupervised setting, which is what you will have to do as a licensed physician.

You’ll get a salary as a resident, but it won’t be much. The average resident earns about $48,000 a year, which should cover living expenses and your minimum medical school loan payments.

Here are some example specialties and their respective residency requirements:

  • Anesthesiology: 4 years
  • Dermatology: 4 years
  • Emergency Medicine: 3-4 years
  • General Surgery: 5 years
  • Internal Medicine: 3 years
  • Neurology: 4 years
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology: 4 years
  • Pathology: 4 years
  • Pediatrics: 3 years
  • Psychiatry: 4 years
  • Radiology: 4-5 years

Step 7: Take and Pass Your Final Boards

Once you’ve finished your residency and passed all your boards, you can officially practice independently as a licensed physician! It probably won’t take you long to find work. You might want to practice in a hospital, clinic, or private practice.

You’ll have to keep up with Continuing Medical Education in order to practice as a physician, no matter your specialty; this ensures that you stay educated and up-to-date on the latest research and best medical practices.

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Your education doesn’t end here—you’ll be working to keep up with new information and best practices for the rest of your medical career.

Summary: The 7 Critical Steps to Becoming a Doctor

This is a ton of information to take in at once, especially if you’re at the beginning of this process or if you’re still unsure about entering the medical field.

To recap, here are the seven major steps you must take to become a doctor:

  1. Do well in high school
  2. Get into a great college
  3. Take the MCAT (and get a good score)
  4. Apply and get into medical school
  5. Attend medical school and pass your boards to become a licensed doctor
  6. Choose your specialty and complete your residency
  7. Take and pass your final boards to practice independently

You should also keep in mind two important takeaways:

  • You don’t have to decide at the beginning of college that you want to become a doctor (although it does make it easier to fulfill pre-med requirements). The path to becoming a physician isn’t completely rigid, especially if you’re interested in other biological and physical science careers.
  • You don’t have to think about all these steps at the same time. Once you’re in medical school, your peers will be thinking about (and worrying about) the same things—there’s no way you’ll forget any important steps!

Becoming a doctor is definitely not for everyone—getting into medical school is really tough, and you still have a lot of training to complete even after you graduate. But if you decide you want to enter the medical profession, you now have the info you need to start off on the right foot!

What’s Next?

If you want more info on what to do to prepare for med school while you’re in high school, you’re in the right place. Check out these great medical programs for high school students and our list of the best books every pre-med student should read.

Starting to research different college or med school options? Start off with this complete list of BA/MD and BS/MD programs in the United States. You might also be interested in our step-by-step guide on how to get into a BS/MD program.

Thinking of having a different medical career? Learn how to become a dentist or a veterinarian with our in-depth guides.

What Is a Doctor of Medicine?

Medical doctors (MDs) are physicians who work in hospitals, clinics, medical centers, or private practices. MDs treat people for illnesses and injuries. They also prescribe medications, order diagnostic tests, diagnose ailments, and record patient information. Doctors of medicine often have a specialization such as general practice, gynecology, dermatology, pediatric medicine, orthopedics, or many others. All surgeons are medical doctors.

Medical doctors’ jobs vary by specialty and work environment. While emergency room physicians will work in fast-pace, high-stress environments, many family doctors are able to set their own schedules in a private medical care practice. Helping people in illness and injury can be very rewarding, but the job can be stressful and carry an emotional toll, as well.

Career Requirements

Degree LevelDoctorate
Degree FieldMedicine
Licensure/CertificationU.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) for state licensure; board certification by the ABMS is optional
ExperienceMost doctors complete a residency that lasts at least three years
Key SkillsAble to pay attention to detail; empathy, critical thinking, physical stamina, leadership, and communication skills; knowledge of medical software, Microsoft Excel, accounting software; ability to use a variety of medical and diagnostic equipment such as Ophthalmoscopes
Mean Salary (2018)$203,880 annually (for all physicians and surgeons)

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET Online

In order to become a doctor, you will need to obtain a doctorate degree in medicine. You will also need to get a medical license. Most doctors complete a residency that lasts at least three years.

Key skills needed to be a medical doctor include being able to pay attention to detail, empathy, critical thinking, physical stamina, leadership, communications skills, knowledge of medical software, Microsoft Excel, accounting software, and the ability to use a variety of medical and diagnostic equipment such as ophthalmoscopes.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2018 the mean salary for all physicians and surgeons was $203,880 annually.

Become a Medical Doctor

There are five steps to become a medical doctor.

Step 1: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

Most medical school applicants complete a bachelor’s degree program before they apply to medical school. Students can choose a variety of majors for undergraduate study; however, students should be sure that their course load includes a significant amount of science studies. Students are also expected to complete undergraduate work in the social sciences, English, and mathematics.

Here’s a success tip: take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The MCAT performance scores are required by almost all U.S. medical schools. Content areas that are tested on the MCAT include biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Anyone planning on applying to medical school can take the MCAT up to three times in a year.

Step 2: Complete Medical School

Medical school takes four years to complete. In the first two years, students take foundational coursework in the practice of medicine, bodily systems and diseases. During the last two years of medical school, students rotate through various hospital specialty departments and gain experience in patient care under faculty supervision. Students must also pass a series of examinations in their final year, which may include the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.

Step 3: Complete a Residency

Individuals choose residency programs based on their career interests. These programs usually last from three to eight years and cover general medical principles and specific medical specialties. Residents perform a variety of extensive duties, such as conducting physical exams, taking patient histories, attending conferences and interpreting lab information. The National Resident Matching Program uses individual preferences to match residency applicants to programs.

Step 4: Obtain Licensure

Before practicing medicine, all doctors must obtain a license. To qualify for licensure, candidates must earn a degree from an accredited medical school. Candidates are also required to complete a residency program and pass the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Each state has different requirements to become licensed; for example, some states may only give candidates a certain number of attempts to pass the USMLE, while others have no limit on USMLE attempts.

Here’s a success tip: continue education after receiving a license. Continuing education is required before doctors can renew their licenses. Licensure renewal is usually required every couple of years. The specific education requirements and time restrictions vary by state.

Step 5: Earn Certification in a Specialty Area

Earning a specialty certification is not required, but it may increase employment opportunities. Certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties is voluntary and involves an extensive process of evaluations and assessments. Doctors who wish to keep their certification must continue their education before testing for certification renewal.

If you want to be a medical doctor, you must first get a bachelor’s degree, taking as many science classes as possible. Then you must complete medical school, get a medical license, and maybe obtain certification in a specialty area.

How to Become a Doctor

how to become a doctor

Curious how to become a doctor? First, doctors are categorized into two categories: medical doctors (M.D.) and doctors of osteopathic medicine (D.O.). Each of these two categories of doctors provides treatment to patients. However, D.O.s also make use of preventive medicine and holistic care treatment techniques whereas medical doctors frequently go for a specialization at the end of their training.

The educational requirement to become a doctor is quite extensive. It is also costly to train as a medical doctor but the salary can pay off. According to Kaiser Family Foundation, the numbers of doctors that are practicing in the United States reaches more than 900,000 and there is still a need for more. In 2013, the American Association of Medical Colleges projected that by the year 2025; there will be a shortage of roughly 46,0000 to 90,000 doctors across the United States.

Training to become a doctor to fill these positions requires a substantial amount of time and effort. This guide contains the steps you need to become a doctor. If you are looking for sufficient information on how to become a doctor, this guide will help you become well informed about all the essential requirements starting from medical school admission requirements to medical school training and give you a brief overview of a doctor’s career choices. This is step-by-step guidance on how to become a doctor:

1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

You need a bachelor’s degree to gain entrance into a medical school. Medical schools accept interested candidates who have an extensive academic background, a good knowledge of the natural sciences, and real-life work experience in the healthcare system. Although a particular major is not specified as required, to be accepted into a medical school, you must need undergraduate courses in biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics.
The majority of students enroll in disciplines that can offer them the experience they need to gain admission from the admissions board. The most commonly studied majors in the pre-medical courses are biology and chemistry.

A Bachelor’s of Science in Biology includes special courses that train you in organic chemistry, general chemistry, and the basics biochemistry and microbiology. It also includes core concept courses in human anatomy and physiology. This prearranged four-year course program prepares you to take the MCAT examination when you come to the end of your junior year.

Some of the courses under this program are:

  • Human Physiology
  • Pathophysiology
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Genetics
  • Pharmacology

A Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry provides you with the opportunity to learn natural sciences and humanities with the aim of preparing you for medical school. Examples of coursework covered include chemistry and biology courses, like organic chemistry. Chemistry programs assist students to obtain major laboratory and research skills and get them prepared for the MCAT test when they come to the end of their junior year.

Some of the courses under this program are:

  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry

While you are in the school, it is beneficial to take up a job in a medical facility. Gaining admission into a medical school is highly competitive. You’ll benefit more by leveraging every possible opportunity you have. Although, it is essential for you to get top grades, working as a volunteer at your local health clinic or getting a paid job in a healthcare environment is very helpful. This also helps you judge if the profession is right you and what aspect of healthcare you’d like to pursue.

You will also need letters of recommendation to be admitted into medical school. Even when letters of recommendation are not part of the admission requirement, they are still essential. Working in a healthcare environment can help you build relationships with those that would be able to write a recommendation letter. Building a good relationship with your premedical course lecturers also makes it easier for you to get a very good letter of recommendation.

After the completion of your bachelor’s degree program, you’ll have to sit for the MCAT.

2. Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

To be admitted into a medical school, you need to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). MCAT is a multiple-choice standardized examination that covers courses in biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics. It is also meant to access your critical thinking, problem-solving ability, scientific principles, and writing ability. You must excel in the exam to be accepted into the medical school.

The majority of medical schools in the United States require you to excel on the MCAT exam to be admitted. You are allowed to sit for the MCAT for a maximum of three times in a year. Those that perform well on the exam are enrolled into the medical school. Learn how to prepare for the MCAT.

3. Apply to Medical School

There is no specified timeline for you to apply to a medical school. Students commonly start the application process during the summer after their junior year in college. However, a few students prefer to take one year break after the completion of their undergraduate degrees before they apply. A number of medical schools in the United States make use of the American Medical College Application Service or AMCAS (link opens in a new tab). AMCAS is a central application processing service provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Students select their target medical schools and submit one application to AMCAS. AMCAS then distributes the application to each medical institution.

4. Attend Medical School

go to medical school

Your training to become a doctor in a medical school commonly takes four years to complete. The first two years of your training commonly requires classroom and laboratory work, whereas, during the last two years, you are given an opportunity to work directly with patients under the direction and surveillance of experienced doctors.

The first two years of the program involves training in many topics which includes medical laws and ethics, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, pathology, and biochemistry. During the last two years, you would gain experience in fields like surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, gynecology, and obstetrics.

In your third year, you’d usually be given the chance to have clinical experiences in various speciality areas like neurology, radiology, and medicine. The clinical experiences are meant to help you check the type of residency program you’d love to pursue when you graduate from the medical school.

The Doctor of Medicine (MD) program lasts four years. It involves a combination of academic coursework with clinical training.
You are expected to engage in an internship program as well. Your internship program choice must be focused on a particular speciality area. This will assist you to get into a residency program later in your career. The internship is frequently undertaken during the summer months between your third and fourth years

5. Complete a Medical Residency Program

After your graduation from the medical school, you’ll undertake a residency program. During your residency, you’ll be given training on-the-job. This period of your training is usually paid for. Your residency training would be given in a hospital. This provides you the opportunity to start treating patients under the guidance of an experienced doctor. During your residency you may craft problem lists, carry out physical examinations, and put together patients medical history data. The length of your residency program depends on your specialization. It can last from as little as three years to as much as eleven years. Again, it all depends on your area of specialization.

Medicine offers many different specialization options. The American Medical Association has more than 200 lists of speciality courses. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (link opens in a new tab) has over 140 specialities and subspecialties. Some of these are allergy and immunology, anesthesiology, critical care medicine, gastroenterology, orthopedic surgery, and cardiology.

Examples of different career specializations for graduates of medical school include:

  • Family physician
  • Anesthesiologist
  • Pediatrician
  • Surgeon median
  • Internist

6. Obtain your Medical License

You must obtain a medical license to be allowed to practice in hospitals and other medical facilities. To obtain your license, you must pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). This is a three-section examination that covers topics which include scientific and medical concepts, patient care, and ambulance management.

Generally, you must pass the first part of the examination which includes basic medical principles prior to your entrance into your third year of studies. In your fourth year, you must pass the second part of the exam. This covers clinical diagnosis and disease development.
You must be licensed before you would be allowed to work as a doctor in all states. To be qualified for the licensure, you must graduate from an accredited medical school. You must also finish your residency training program before you’d be qualified.

While MDs are required to take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), DOs are required to take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA). If you want to obtain information on the licensing protocol of a particular state, you’d be required to contact the medical board of that state.

Medical licensing is managed at the state level by state boards of medicine. Every state sets its own licensing requirements and procedures. As a trained and board-certified doctor, you must apply and obtain a medical license before you can operate legally as a doctor.
You also need to renew your license from time to time. Before you apply for a license renewal, you need to complete no less than fifty hours of ongoing education. Because the licensing requirements of each state varies, it’s wise to get an idea of what the requirements for your state is before you apply.

7. Optional: Certifications and Fellowship Programs

Although you don’t require a certification to practice as a doctor, obtaining one may boost your employability. Obtaining a professional title can show that a doctor is an expert in a particular area of medicine. To be certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), you must go through a thorough process of evaluations and assessments. You need to undergo an ongoing medical training to obtain a recertification. You can apply for medical certification in your preferred field as soon as you are done with your medical training. There are 24 speciality boards that certify doctors in hundreds of speciality and subspecialty areas. To obtain board certifications, you need a written and sometimes an oral examination.

When you finish your residency program, you may decide to undertake fellowship programs in your chosen speciality area. Examples of fellowship program you can enroll in include oncology (cancer treatment) or neurology.

8. Apply For Jobs

Your last step to become a doctor is applying for and securing a job to begin to practice in the medical field. Some doctors start their job search during their residency program. In a good number of instances, resident doctors transit into full-time employment when their residency is over. A few doctors decide to go to the open market and search for job openings while other doctors get called by recruiters to fill up vacant positions.

About the author

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