Undergraduate Education:
- The journey to becoming a doctor usually begins with earning a bachelor\’s degree from an accredited college or university. While there is no specific undergraduate major required for medical school admission, most students complete a pre-medical curriculum that includes courses in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and English.
- During their undergraduate years, aspiring doctors also participate in extracurricular activities, volunteer work, research experiences, and clinical shadowing to gain exposure to the medical field and strengthen their medical school applications.
Medical School (MD or DO):
- After completing their bachelor\’s degree, students must apply to and attend medical school to earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree.
- Medical school typically lasts four years and is divided into two main phases: pre-clinical and clinical. During the pre-clinical years, students focus on basic medical sciences and learn about the structure and function of the human body, disease processes, and medical ethics. The clinical years involve hands-on clinical rotations in various medical specialties, allowing students to gain practical experience working with patients under the supervision of licensed physicians.
- Medical students also prepare for and take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) to obtain their medical license.
Residency Training:
- After graduating from medical school, new doctors enter residency training, which provides supervised clinical experience in a specific medical specialty or subspecialty.
- Residency programs vary in length depending on the specialty, ranging from three to seven years or more. During residency, doctors work under the guidance of experienced attending physicians, gaining practical skills and knowledge in their chosen field.
- Upon completing residency, doctors may choose to pursue additional fellowship training to further specialize in a particular area of medicine.
Board Certification:
- After completing residency training, doctors have the option to become board-certified in their specialty by passing a rigorous examination administered by the relevant medical specialty board. Board certification demonstrates expertise and competence in a particular medical specialty and may be required for certain employment opportunities or hospital privileges.
Continuing Medical Education (CME):
- Throughout their careers, doctors are required to engage in continuing medical education to maintain their medical licenses and stay up-to-date with advances in medical knowledge and practice. This may involve attending conferences, completing online courses, participating in journal clubs, and other activities.