Doctors are healthcare professionals who typically work in hospitals, offices and other healthcare settings. There are various types of doctors. Some doctors work directly with patients. Some doctors work behind the scenes as diagnosticians who solely read and interpret x-rays. Other doctors work solely as administrators in healthcare settings. The process of becoming a doctor is difficult because it requires years of schooling, supervised work experience and much persistence. However, if you have excellent academic skills and stamina, then you can be a doctor. The following article is about become a doctor in the USA.
Instructions
Become a Doctor in the USA
1. Complete a college education and get a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5/4.0. Medical schools do vary from year to year in terms of what the average GPA is that they accept from student applicants. However, generally speaking, medical school admissions are very competitive and getting a GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 will enhance your chances of being accepted to a medical school in the United States. While in college, you can major in any subject you wish. However, it is necessary to include specific courses such as chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics (and potentially other courses depending on the particular medical school you wish to apply to) in order to demonstrate that you have competence in the sciences. Medical schools usually require these sciences classes as prerequisite for application because having competence in the sciences is considered prerequisite for being able to succeed in medical school.
2. Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), get letters of recommendation, write an application essay, and apply to medical school after college. Get accepted to medical school. This process can be challenging. The MCAT is an exam which assesses your knowledge of sciences, your critical thinking and analysis skills because these are things which will be relevant in medical school. Your scores on the MCAT will be considered along with your GPA and letters of recommendation in order to determine if you are accepted to medical school. Some medical schools also require an interview as well. Of note, it is possible to do things to prepare for the medical school application process. For example, you can get tutoring for the MCAT or purchase MCAT preparation booklets from the Princeton Review.
3. Take the required courses in medical school. Medical school takes four years to complete and includes medical classes such as anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, and ethics applied to medicine. At the end of the first year of medical school, you must take and pass an exam called the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 (USMLE Step 1) exam which tests your knowledge of anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology. Also during medical school there will be opportunities to go to hospitals and gain supervised experience working with patients while also learning and observing. In the fourth year of medical school, you must take and pass the USMLE Step 2 exam which will assess your ability to apply medical knowledge to treat patients.
4. Complete a residency in your chosen medical specialization. Residencies are paid training experiences. For example you could choose to specialize in anesthesiology, pediatrics, gynecology, psychiatry, allergy, surgery or some other specialty. There are various medical specialties depending on what type of medical work you want to do as a career. During residency, you will go to hospitals and gain instruction and supervised experience working with patients in the area that you have chosen to specialize in. At the end of the first year of residency, you must take and pass the USMLE Step 3 exam which will assess your ability to understand and apply biomedical and clinical science in the unsupervised practice of medicine. You will continue residency if you pass this exam. In total, residency usually takes at least 4 years but it could take longer depending on the particular specialty that you choose.
5. Take and pass an exam given by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) to get board certification in your chosen medical specialty. Then in addition take and pass a final doctor licensure exam in whichever state you intend to practice medicine in. Once you are a licensed physician, then you can work in whatever setting you prefer. For example, you can work in a hospital, you can work as a travel doctor, you can work as a member of a medical group practice, you can work as a medical instructor in a medical school, or work as an administrator.
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