ALT-1 Becoming a Doctor Education and Training

From 3arf

Many parents would be pleased if their son or daughter became a doctor, yet most do not have a clear idea of what it takes to achieve this worthy goal. I work with a medical residency program and often receive phone calls or emails from middle or high school students asking what they need to do to become a doctor. In my position, I am so far up the ladder from the initial stages of planning an educational path to becoming a physician, that I am often perplexed on how to begin giving advice. It's like asking how to furnish a room when you haven't even built a house yet.

Oftentimes, even discussing your plans with a school counselor may not answer all your questions. Let's start at the beginning.

1. Why do you want to become a doctor? There are many different paths a physician can take that may not fit your vision of what a doctor is. The four main paths are:

a. Clinical - This is where the physician is primarily involved in direct patient care. The doctor you see in the office or in the hospital is a clinical practitioner.

b. Research - Some doctors do not see patients. They may be involved solely in research. That research can take place in a laboratory, reviewing articles written, interviewing patients, or reviewing patient records.

c. Administrative - A doctor may choose to pursue hospital administration, work with industry, government or public health, again, not having direct patient interactions.

d. Academic - In becoming a member of a university's faculty, a doctor will be involved in teaching medical students and residents. Most likely, a doctor working in academics will also have clinical, research and administrative duties.

2. Middle School - Hopefully while in middle school, you enjoy your science classes. The foundation of medical education is science; however that doesn't mean you can ignore the other classes. A physician will need to be a well rounded individual with a good grasp of the humanities as well.

3. High School - This is where you need to be focusing on taking the right classes. Doing well in biology and chemistry will be your main focus. But remember that getting into college will depend upon your overall grades, not just how well you did in the sciences.

4. Undergraduate Degree - Understand that the purpose of your undergraduate program is to do the best you possibly can academically, so that you will be admitted to medical school. The traditional path would be to major in Biochemistry, Biology or Chemistry; however I have noticed more students who have a strong academic background in English, History, Engineering, Economics, and Political Science are also being admitted to medical school.

5. Extracurricular Activities - Although focusing on your studies will take up a lot of your time, it will help your medical school application if you show community involvement. We do not want future doctors who only can recite all anatomical body parts; we need individuals who give back to the community. As well, if your volunteer involvement also show leadership, such as taking on the role of president or secretary of a student organization, all the better!

6. Medical School - There are a number of articles written on how to get accepted into medical school, so I won't address that here. But while in medical school, I would suggest continuing to take on leadership roles in your volunteer work. Your medical education will cover all aspects of human health but you will also get a chance to have clinical experience in many of the specialties as well.

For example, you will take an elective in Pediatrics, one in Surgery, another in Primary care, all to give you some exposure to an area of medicine you can specialize in when you enter residency. Graduating from medical school does not allow you to immediately begin practicing medicine. That was your academic foundation and now you will need some hands on practical experience. However, a degree in medicine, without a residency, will allow you to work as a research associate in a university or for a pharmaceutical company.

7. Residency - Depending on which specialty you choose to pursue, your residency could take from three to seven years. It is important to put a lot of thought into the residency specialty you want to pursue since it can be difficult switching later on. Applying to a residency program is a lot like applying to medical school. You will want to assess the programs and go to a reputable program located in a city you will be comfortable living in over the next few years.

Being accepted into a residency program is different than medical school. Applicants and programs participate in a Matching Program, where applicants rank programs and programs rank applicants. A computer generated match result will show which program you will be doing your residency in. The biggest difference you will notice once you enter residency is you finally receive a salary! Not the full salary that a practicing physician receives but certainly enough to support yourself.

8. Board Exams - Once your residency is completed you are finally able to practice medicine. You can apply for a license and be hired by a hospital, university or be part of a private practice. However, most employers will want you to take the final board exams at some point in the near future to maintain your employment. The term "Board" refers to the governing body of that specialty, such as the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

9. Fellowships - Many residents choose to delay finding their first job by continuing their education just a little bit more. By taking a Fellowship position, you are able to be trained in a very specific area of your specialty; for example, not just Pediatrics, but Pediatric Cardiology. Again, this will need to be finalized by sub-specialty board exams, but will result in a higher paid position.

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