how to become a physician

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If you've ever dreamed of helping people stay happy and healthy, then becoming a doctor is an amazing and rewarding career choice. There are so many things you can do to put yourself on the right path even if you're still in high school. While it does take a long time to get through all of your training, you'll be able to practice medicine right when you finish. We know that you probably have some questions about the entire process, so keep reading to find out more!

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It can take around 10–15 years after high school. After you graduate from high school, you'll need to earn a degree from a 4-year college before you can apply to medical school. You'll study in medical school for another 4 years, and then move on to gain experience in the field completing a residency for a few more years.^[1]
- It may seem like a long time, but your experience will help you provide the best care and meet other people in your field.
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Focus on biology and chemistry courses. Since you'll be working with medicines and how they affect people, choose a few life science courses to add to your school schedule. Try to pick classes like human biology, organic chemistry, or pharmacology if they're available at your school. If you're still in high school, look for these as AP courses so you can earn college credits. Make sure you study hard and do well in each of your classes since they're usually prerequisites for med school.^[2]
- Even though most colleges apply AP credits, some medical schools won't accept them and still require college-level courses.
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Include a few classes in psychology or sociology. Go through the list of available courses at your school and try to add a couple behavioral sciences to your schedule. Taking these courses helps you learn more about how people think and behave, which can help you offer the best treatment for whatever issue they're dealing with.^[3]
- Course requirements depend on which medical school you want to go to. Always check the websites for the schools you're interested in to see what courses you need to take.
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Earn a bachelor's degree in science before applying. You can go to any 4-year school to earn your bachelor's degree. While many med schools will accept most degree programs, you'll have better chances of getting accepted if you choose a science-related field, such as biology or chemistry, since it will help you more with the courses in medical school. Focus hard on your studies so you can do well on all of your coursework and exams.^[4]

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Look for medical volunteer opportunities. You can start volunteering once you're in high school so you can get an early start on your career. Visit the website for your local hospital or clinic and search for "Volunteer Opportunities" to see if they have any available positions. Some things you can do to volunteer include greeting patients, escorting patients through the clinic, and answering phones. Otherwise, talk to your school's guidance or career counselor to see if they can help you make connections.^[5]
- If your school has a career day, look for representatives from local hospitals or clinics and ask what volunteer positions are available.
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Take the MCAT exam and submit your scores to potential schools. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized test that's required for your med school application. The test is multiple-choice and is split into 4 sections: Biological and Biochemical Foundations; Chemical and Physical Foundations; Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations; and Critical Analysis and Reasoning. Schedule the exam within 3 years of applying to med school to ensure they accept your scores.^[6]
- Look for study guides online or at bookstores and try to set aside some time every day to review the information before the test.
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Fill out the application for the school you want to go to. Research a few potential medical schools that you want to attend and check if you meet the application requirements. Fill out the application online with your information, transcripts, and any essays that they ask you to write. Be sure to submit your application before the deadline listed on the site to ensure that you qualify for the coming academic year.^[7]
- Start your application in the spring of your junior year of college if you plan on going to med school right after graduation.
- Many med school applications have a one-time fee that varies between institutions.
- You may also need letters of recommendation from professors or advisors.
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Interview with someone from the school to see if you're a good fit. After your application gets accepted, you'll typically have to do an interview with a faculty member in-person or over a video call. The interviewer will ask you things like why you want to be a doctor and why you want to attend their school. Answer all the questions honestly as best as you can for the best chances of getting accepted.^[8]
- No matter how the interview went, send a follow-up email thanking the person for their time and consideration.
- Try running a mock interview with a friend or mentor so you can get used to answering the questions. Just make sure you don't memorize responses, or else it will seem like you're too rehearsed.
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Take pre-clinic classes for the first 2 years. When you first start medical school, you'll work mostly in a classroom so you can familiarize yourself with basic medical concepts. You'll learn about body functions, diseases, and treatments. You'll also cover basic doctoring skills, like taking medical histories and communicating with patients.^[9]
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Work with patients during clinicals during your last 2 years. As you get more knowledgeable, your professors will let you interact and work with patients so you get hands-on experience making rounds and treating others. Listen carefully to the supervising doctor and follow their instructions so you can continue learning and improving.^[10]
- Some schools might have a more integrated curriculum where you start doing clinicals interspersed with your classes.
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Take the first 2 parts of the USMLE during school to get a general license. The United States Medical Licensing Exam, or USMLE, is a required 3-step test for all medical students. Each step of the exam is multiple-choice covering basic medical information and takes around 8 hours to complete. Apply to take the first and second steps of the exam while you're still enrolled at your med school, but you can't take the final step until you're working on a residency.^[11]
- Scores range from 1 to 300, where 300 is the best. Typical median scores for step 1 and 2 of the exam are around 232 and 245 respectively.^[12]
- You can retake each step of the USMLE up to 6 times.
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Pick something that you've enjoyed doing in med school. During your final years of medical school, you get to choose what area of medicine you want to focus on. Think hard about what you've liked learning about and if those paths are what you want to pursue in your career. If you aren't sure what you want to do, talk to an advisor or counselor at your school to help you find the field that you're best suited for.^[13]
- For example, go into pediatrics or family medicine if you want to work with younger patients.
- As another example, if you've been really interested in bones and joints during class, you may go into orthopedics instead.
- Some of the most competitive medical specialties include radiology, orthopedic surgery, integrated plastic surgery, and neurological surgery.^[14]
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Decide if you want to be in a hospital or private practice. When you work at a hospital, you'll do more work with teams and have administrators handle all the paperwork you need. However, hospitals can be more stressful since your hours can change depending on the week and you'll work with a large variety of patients. If you want more control of your hours and want to establish better connections with the people you're treating, choose a private clinic instead.^[15]
- If you enjoyed making rounds during med school, fields such as general surgery or internal medicine at a hospital may be a good choice for you.
- Consider fields like psychiatry, dermatology, or pathology if you want to have more control over the patients you see and want to work in a specialized clinic.^[16]
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You'll gain experience working in your field under supervision. After choosing a specialty you want to practice, apply for a residency in a clinic or medical practice. Once you're accepted, you can interact and help with patients while more experienced doctors watch over you. That way, you can learn even more about your field's specialized services and work with patients outside of medical school.^[17]
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Plan on being a resident for 3–7 years. Residency lengths all depend on the difficulty of the field that you chose as your specialty. If you're only working in general medicine, then you usually get by with only 3 years. However, more difficult fields, such as neurology and surgery, may take 5–7 years to complete fully.^[18]

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Check the license requirements for your state. Each state has its own requirements before you can apply for a medical license. Some states require a certain number of years in residency while others may have restrictions for how many times you take the USMLE.^[19]
- You will need a license for each state where you want to practice.
- You can find state-specific requirements here: https://www.fsmb.org/step-3/state-licensure/.
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Take a board certification exam for your medical specialty. Contact your state's licensure department as you get closer to the end of your residency to find out how to apply to the board exam. Most board exams are written tests, but some specialties may require an oral exam too. Once you pass your boards, you can then practice anywhere within the state.^[20]
- Average board exams can cost around $2,000 USD.
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You can earn around $200,000 USD a year as a general doctor. If you only practice general medicine, you'll usually average around this much every year. If you practice a more specific field of medicine, you'll most likely earn more money depending on the difficulty of what you're doing.^[21]
- For example, you could earn an average of $350,000 USD a year if you're a dermatologist or up to $550,000 USD if you're a neurosurgeon.^[22]

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Question

How hard is it to become a doctor?

Dr. Litza is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Wisconsin. She is a practicing Physician and taught as a Clinical Professor for 13 years, after receiving her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1998.

Board Certified Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

It is competitive and may require you to apply more than once after getting different experiences, such as medical mission work or research.
Question

What is a doctor's salary?

Dr. Litza is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Wisconsin. She is a practicing Physician and taught as a Clinical Professor for 13 years, after receiving her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1998.

Board Certified Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

It depends on many factors, including the specialty and the region that you work in. It can range from $185,000 to over $500,000.

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Make some time for extracurricular activities during med school so you can maintain a work-life balance. They can also help you with team-building skills in the clinic.^[23]
It's completely normal to feel a little bit stressed during medical school. Talk to a faculty member or dean for tips on how to manage your stress.^[24]

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To become a doctor, you'll need to be a hard worker with a passion for learning since it takes between 11 and 15 years to complete all of the educational and training requirements. If you're still in school, focus on taking math and science courses since they'll help prepare you for your future coursework. You can also volunteer at a local hospital or clinic to learn more about the medical field and gain experience. Then, eventually you'll need to earn a bachelor's degree and attend medical school. For tips on how to get into medical school, scroll down!

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