GENERAL MEDICINE

ACADEMY DESCRIPTION: Students take high level math and science courses to prepare for a university nursing program or pre-medical program with the intention of applying to Medical School.

CERTIFICATIONS- Industry certifications in Medical Anatomy & Physiology, Pharmacy Technician.

COLLEGE CREDIT- Many of the courses in this academy are college level material. Students can earn articulated college credits when they earn a B or better in these courses. Articulated courses include:

Exploring Health Careers, Medical Terminology, OEC series, Anatomy & Physiology, Pharmacy Technician

CAREER FIELD- In order to become a doctor, a person must first complete a bachelor's degree. Then, he or she must attend and complete four years of medical school.

Medical School- The first two years of medical school are comprised mostly of classroom work, learning the basics of anatomy, diseases and body functions. The second half of medical school is comprised of clinical, hands-on patient work, usually in a teaching hospital or academic medical center.

Medical students rotate through various specialties such as surgery, pediatrics, or neurology to learn about each field so they can decide which is of most interest to them. You’ll see them in hospitals, but they haven’t finished their training, and they are not licensed, doctors.

Once a medical student finishes the four years of medical school, they graduate and adds the MD (medical doctor) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) to their name and become a resident.

Residency- As students finish medical school, they apply for a "residency" program. Some medical schools use the term intern to describe the first year of residency. Residency training is also the time when new doctors begin to draw a paycheck for their work with patients. The name "resident" comes from the fact that years ago, many residents lived in hospital-supplied housing so they could be on call 24/7.

Attending Physician- Once a doctor has completed his residency training and fellowship, if it's required for his specialty, he'll be considered an "attending physician" and can practice medicine on his own. In most states, this is when he'll receive his license. He may also choose to become board certified, which means he has completed not just the education required, but certain forms of experience, too.

Attending physicians who affiliate with teaching hospitals or academic medical centers will also be put in charge of residents who are practicing their new skills.

(A Doctor’s Medical Training and Experience, Trisha Torrey, August 2018)