How to Become a General Practitioner

Video Transcript

"To become a General Practitioner, which is commonly now known as either a Family Medicine Doctor or a Primary Care Physician, you first need to complete your Bachelors Degree. This is the first step towards any career as a Doctor, and typically a Pre-Med student will major in a science, however this isn't necessary. If you choose not to major in a science though, you need to make sure you do all of your science prerequisites to be able to take the Medical College Admissions Test. The MCAT is a standardized exam that all students who are applying to Medical School must take. The MCAT along with your GPA and the college that you attended, will be factored into the Medical School's decision as to whether or not to admit you. You really want to focus on keeping a strong GPA while you're doing your Bachelors Degree, a 3.75 or higher will make you a strong candidate, and do well on the MCAT. Next, you apply to Medical School and to apply to Medical School, there is a standardized service called AMCAS, and one hundred and twenty one of the one hundred and twenty nine accredited Medical Schools in the United States participate in this program and through AMCAS, you can apply to one or all of them, and typically most applicants to Medical School will apply to multiple Medical Colleges because it is a very competitive field and you improve your odds of being accepted if you apply to multiple schools. The next step along the way is to complete your medical education. Now Medical School is an additional four year degree program. The first two years are typically reserved for didactic instruction is Health Sciences, with some experience in Clinical care and after completing the, those first two years you will need to pass the step of the United States Medical Licensing Exam. This exam covers your basic knowledge of Health science, Disease Process and Treatment Modalities. Then you need to complete the second two years of your, of Medical school and it's during these two years that you really learn your Clinical knowledge and skills to become a Practicing Physician. At this point you need to pass the second step to the USMLE Exam, and then you are conferred the degree of M.D. if you are attending an Allopathic School, or D.O. if you're attending an Osteopathic School. Either way, the scope of practice in the United States is the same. Now the next step is to complete a residency in Family Medicine. Now this is a three year residency program and constitutes what's known as your Graduate Medical Education. This is required before you can actually practice independently as a Physician. Upon completing your three year residency in Family Medicine or Primary Care, you will sit for the Board Exam in whichever State you wish to practice and then you are ready to practice independently as a General Practitioner."