How to Become a Familly Doctor
If you love helping people, are patient and have an aptitude for science, you may have what it takes to become a family doctor. Family doctors are the ones whom people generally visit first when they are ill or hurt. Family medicine is a more personal field of medicine than surgery, because you will see many people repeatedly over the years. If you are willing to put in nearly 8 years of study and are willing to work long hours, being a family doctor could be for you.
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Things You'll Need
- Bachelor's degree
- Medical college admission scores
- Letters of recommendation
- Medical school applications
- College transcript
- Doctor of medicine degree (MD)
- American Board of Medical Specialists exam scores
- Medical license
Instructions
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Earn a bachelor's degree in biology, physics, chemistry or any type of science. Complete courses in English and mathematics as well.
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Talk to your academic advisor before you graduate to get information on the medical schools you can apply to and advice on the application and acceptance processes. There are only 126 medical schools in the United States that give doctor of medicine (MD) degrees, so it is a competitive process.
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Sign up and take the Medical College Admission (MCA) test. Ask your professors for letters of recommendation to send in with your medical school application.
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Request a copy of your academic transcript from your advisor. Fill out the medical school application and send it to the school, along with a copy of your MCA scores, letters of recommendation and transcript.
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Enroll in a medical school after you are accepted and complete the required areas of study for the first 2 years. This includes courses in biochemistry, medical ethics, anatomy, governing medicine and psychology.
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Participate in a training program for 2 more years. You will be supervised by doctors and work in clinics and hospitals, studying many different areas of medicine. As you learn how to diagnose and treat illnesses, you will also learn what you want to specialize in.
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Graduate medical school, earning your doctor of medicine (MD) degree, and choose a family practice to complete your residency. Residency is another training program, but it occurs after you graduate from medical school, and you are paid to learn the specialty you choose.
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Complete your residency at a family practice, which takes approximately 4 years. Take and pass the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) exam, which will earn you a license to practice family medicine.
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Apply for family doctor positions at clinics or private practices. Check out your state's laws on private practices. If you qualify, start your own practice.
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Tips & Warnings
Family doctors work long hours, so make sure you love this field of medicine.
