So, you want to become a doctor? That’s terrific! It’s a long and unwinding life journey, as it can take as little as 11 years and up to 20 years! You need to take your foundational science classes in college, to more specified science courses in medical school, to actual on-site training after graduating from medical school, to taking specialty-specific educational credits. And then you’re a full-fledged physician! Crazy right? You are entering a world of endless learning for the rest of your life. If that’s your cuppa joe, then keep reading!
The Path to Becoming a Doctor in the U.S.
1. Getting Into Medical School
Choosing the Best Major in College
Do you ever wonder why most medical students are science majors? The minimum course requirements for medical school are as follows:
- Biology – 1 year
- Chemistry – 1 year
- Physics – 1 year
- Organic Chemistry – 1 year
- English – 1 year
Science majors knock out most of the medical school requirements just by simply completing their major requirements. So, not only does it give you a core foundation in science but it also takes care of the classes that you need to take to apply to medical school, anyway!
That being said, there are numerous non-science majors that still get into medical school. But they had to go out of their way to meet the science requirements, as their major does not complete all the prerequisites. They also had to work harder than most science majors, just to catch up with all the other students that had a solid foundational knowledge of science in general. So, being a non-science major is definitely do-able. But ultimately, I would suggest majoring in science just so your medical journey would be a bit easier.
Scoring Well On the MCAT
Some schools now require Biochemistry and/or Behavioral Sciences (ie. Psychology) because of the new MCAT exam. So, double-check the school you are applying to and make sure of their exact requirements. Being a science major checks off all the lists of requirements for medical school already and this is already a huge advantage when compared with non-science majors. This strong science background would also prepare you to take the MCAT exam, which is the standardized test you must take in order to be considered for medical school. Now, the new MCAT was a beast itself (7.5 hours of examination! now changed due to COVID19) and I will dedicate another post on how to score well on this exam but be prepared to dedicate a lot of time and effort to study because this might be one of the biggest hurdles you must take on and must do well, meaning your score must be well up north of 500. That and keep up your grades, of course.
Here’s a visual of what the national average MCAT score is. The average accepted medical student score is about a 511 – this should be where you should be aiming. You could aim for 528 if you really want to get into those high tier, competitive schools.
Applying To Medical Schools
If it wasn’t obvious yet, you need to graduate from college and obtain a bachelor’s degree to be considered for medical school. Once you’ve completed the requirements (prerequisite courses + MCAT) and submitted your medical school application through AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service), you will receive a secondary application from the schools you have applied to. Some schools automatically send every applicant a secondary and some have stricter evaluations and will only send you a secondary if they like your application. Secondaries consist of short essay questions either pertaining to the specific school or prompts that let them know more about you. Basically, you have to tell the school why you want to go to their school and why you are a good fit for the program in an essay format.
Medical School Interviews
Once you have submitted your secondary application, the waiting game begins for an interview. If you get an interview, you are nearly there! This means that the school pretty much likes everything about you on your application, now they just want to see how you are as a person.
Unfortunately, nowadays, there are SO many applicants with an amazing GPA and MCAT score. So, this is where a lot of medical schools look beyond another aspect of the applicant: well-roundedness. Did you volunteer and show what did you get out of it? Do you know what it means to be a doctor? Did you show some kind of perseverance or personal growth in your life? Do you seem like a mature and professional applicant? You need to display these aspects during your application and your interview for them to like you.
Once you finish your interview, the second waiting game begins – for an acceptance! If you get a big fat package in the mail or a congratulations email from a school in the next few months, then you accepted!!! Finally. Most people shed tears of relief at this point.
This whole process is like funneling applicants through a tight, goose-neck bottle. Getting into medical school isn’t easy. And getting into medical school isn’t even the hardest part of the journey either, as some may argue. And that’s where it takes us to the next road stop: medical school.
2. Surviving Medical School (4 Years)
So, you made it to medical school. Pat yourself on the back because this is a huge milestone. Statistics have shown that only 41% of the medical school applicants get accepted into medical school – meaning that about 59% are rejected each year. It’s a harsh statistic but through lots of hard work, you can be part of the 41%.
You think getting into medical school was hard? The hardest part is actually completing medical school.
Choosing a M.D. or D.O. Medical School
First, you have to choose which type of medical school you want to get into. There are two types of medical schools: an M.D. (allopathic) or a D.O. (osteopathic) school. Going to either one will make you a physician in the end. The only difference is that the curriculum differs slightly, as D.O.’s have an added component of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), where they treat the patient with their hands in a holistic approach.
Medical School Curriculum
Year 1 & 2
These are going to be the hardest years in medical school. You will be spending these two years learning about anatomy/physiology, microbiology, histology, immunology, pharmacology and pathology, and all the organ systems (renal, neurology, gastroenterology, cardiology, respiratory, endocrinology, etc.) And then learn bedside diagnosis work, clinical skills, other clinical electives. And if you are going to a D.O. school, you have to learn Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine on top of everything. Is this a lot? Yes. Is this the hardest time during medical school? Yes.
After successfully passing their second year of medical school, medical students usually take their first licensing board examination. USMLE (Step 1) for MD students and COMLEX (Level 1) for DO students. And be warned, if you don’t pass your classes or do poorly on this licensing exam, you be forced to either retake the exam for a better score or be forced to drop out of medical school.
Year 3
This is when medical students start their clinical rotations, about 4-8 weeks in a particular specialty, and literally “rotate” through each of the core specialties, like family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, OB/GYN, surgery, and neurology/psychiatry. Medical students will then finish off their rotations by taking a “shelf exam” at the end of each specialty to prove their competency in that department.
Year 4
This year is also a year of rotations but it’s tailored to specific rotations that medical students choose based on their interests. This is also the most expensive year of medical school because you have to pay for flights and hotels for months at a time for different hospital locations. Most 4th-year medical school spend this year rotating in hospitals they desire to work at after medical school.
At the end of year 4, medical students need to submit residency applications by using ERAS (Electronic Residency Application System.) This is very important as it will determine where you will work as a resident after you graduate from medical school!
3. Completing a Residency Program (3 to 9 Years)
What is a residency program? Basically, it’s when a graduated medical student gets trained in a hospital, under the supervision of experienced residents and doctors. It’s the final step in the training of becoming an official doctor unless you want to get a fellowship for extra specialty training.
The residency the medical student chooses is specific to the specialty you choose, meaning that graduated medical students will receive specific training in one area of medicine and become an expert in the specialty. For example, if you wanted to be a pediatrician, you would want to do a residency program in pediatrics when you graduate medical school.
This is also when you finally get paid (but way less than a full-fledged physician) – under supervision. This is where residents will work up to 80 hours a week and be on call every 4th night. They could also be at the hospital up to 36 hours straight. But many of these have state-specific restrictions. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Residency is a lot of hard work but if you put in the work, you will be a fabulous doctor.
4. Fellowships (1 to 3 Years)
A fellowship is the period of medical training a physician may undertake after completing a residency. During this time (usually more than one year), the physician is known as a fellow. Fellows are capable of acting as an attending physician or a consultant physician in the specialist field in which they were trained, such as Internal Medicine or Pediatrics. After completing a fellowship in the relevant sub-specialty, the physician is permitted to practice without direct supervision by other physicians in that sub-specialty. Fellowships are 1-3 years of additional training for doctors that want to be “subspecialized” in a particular area. This is not required but maybe help you gain more experience and expertise in your medical practice.
Thoughts As a Medical Student
And then that’s it! You are a doctor after 11-20 years of education, depending on how much you want to specialize in your medical field! So, now you know the whole process of being a doctor, still interested? This journey definitely is for the strong-hearted, but in the end, you have the incredible power to help save lives. And I think this path is well worth it for me.