How to Become an MD
The path to becoming a Medical Doctor (MD) in the United States is lengthy. It requires the completion of a four-year undergraduate degree, four years of undergraduate medical training and additional Graduate Medical Education (GME collectively refers to residency and Fellowship obligations). It requires a great deal of motivation and intelligence. If you are interested in becoming an MD, the following is what will be expected of you.
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Instructions
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Prepare for college. Getting into a good college is competitive. A high GPA, good ACT/SAT scores and involvement in extra-curricular acuities are all important factors in college admission. One should start preparing for college as early as possible.
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Enroll in an undergraduate program that focuses on the basic sciences. Obtain your BA/BS from a program that concentrates on biology, chemistry, and/or physics. While some students come from other disciplines, most pre-med students choose a path that is science-related. Keep in mind that most prospective medical students maintain a GPA of 3.5 – 4.0 on a 4.0 scale.
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Prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). This is the test required in order to enter an accredited medical school. Timely and successful completion of the MCAT is expected of all prospective medical students.
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Enroll in a Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical school. Medical school consists of four years of preclinical and clinical instruction. Upon completion, students earn their Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees but are not qualified to practice medicine until further instruction is completed.
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Complete a residency through a national matching program. A residency consists of thee to seven years of additional professional training under a senior physician educator. The length of the training is dependent upon the specialty area the student wishes to pursue.
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Complete a Fellowship. A one- to three-year fellowship is optional, but is required for those who wish to become highly specialized in a specific area of medicine.
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Obtain a license to practice medicine. Each state has different licensing requirements. Applicants generally must complete a series of exams, as well as a minimum number of years as a resident.
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Become board certified. This is an optional, voluntary process that may physicians participate in to ensure that they have the skills and abilities to provide quality patient care in their specialty area.
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Tips & Warnings
A doctor's education does not end with formal schooling. An MD is expected to participate in continuing medical education (CME) to which he earns credit for. Some states require a specific number of credits be earned each year to ensure the doctor's skills are current and up to date.
