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“In Examining Disease, We Gain Wisdom About Anatomy And Physiology And Biology. In Examining The Person With Disease, We Gain Wisdom About Life.”
Section Overview
In this section, the process of pursuing a career in the medical field is laid out in a format that will allow you to get an idea of what is to come as the years progress. This section will also allow you to understand the general academic requirements that need to be met in order to achieve a degree in medicine and ultimately become a doctor in your chosen specialty.
The Journey
After attaining a High School diploma, aspiring doctors must complete a four-year undergraduate program, along with four years in medical school and three to seven years in a residency program to learn the specialty they chose to pursue. In other words, it takes between 10 to 14 years to become a fully licensed doctor.
There are many routes that many physicians take that allow them to achieve their medical degree. There isn't one direct journey to becoming a doctor and even though it may seem impossible, that is when you have to believe in your potential and let your passion for medicine guide and help you.
Undergraduate Years in College
"Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be a pre-med major to get into medical school. According to data from the Association of American of Medical Colleges (AAMC), about 60 percent of medical school applicants majored in biological sciences as undergraduates, meaning you have some flexibility choosing your major.
As long as you complete the requirements for medical school, which typically include chemistry—including inorganic, organic and biochemistry—biology, physics, English, calculus and/or statistics, you'll generally be set. Be sure to work with your adviser to help you map out a plan. That said, here are six college undergraduate pre-med majors to consider that can help prepare you to be a future doctor."
General Tips:
Choose an undergraduate program that you enjoy and in which you will excel. Medical schools expect high GPAs from applicants, so toughing it out in majors that are beyond your abilities may not help you.
Leave room for medical school requirements. If you choose to major in history, that's fine. Just be sure to save up your elective credits to complete those prerequisite science and math courses as well.
Moreover, it is highly encouraged that you join or take part in extracurriculars like sports, college society groups, internships, physician shadowing, etc. as these allow your application portfolio to set you apart from our applicants. As you are able to showcase both your diverse interests and your passion for medicine as you are taking the initiative to gain real life medical experience. A key extracurricular that many medical schools look for is research internships or participation in research projects, as taking part in research further emphasizes your passion for medicine and your determination to advance medicine.
Internship/Research Opportunities
Websites that provide a list of various internship/research programs for high school students/collegeundergraduates
https://blog.collegevine.com/15-medical-internships-for-high-school-students/
MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, multiple-choice, computer-based test that has been a part of the medical school admissions process for more than 90 years. Each year, more than 85,000 students sit for the exam. Nearly all medical schools in the United States and several in Canada require MCAT scores, and many health profession schools and graduate programs now accept MCAT scores in lieu of other standardized tests. The MCAT exam tests examinees on the skills and knowledge that medical educators, physicians, medical students, and residents have identified as key prerequisites for success in medical school and practicing medicine. The content is divided into four sections:
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
You can learn more about the MCAT by visiting https://students-residents.aamc.org/taking-mcat-exam/taking-mcat-exam
Medical School
Many medical schools organize their training into two parts: pre-clinical and clinical. In a traditional four-year curriculum, the pre-clinical phase includes two years of science training when you learn about basic medical concepts, the structure and functions of the body, diseases, diagnoses, and treatment concepts. You’ll also learn the basics of doctoring, such as taking medical histories and other essential competencies. The clinical portion of the training, traditionally the last two years of medical school, involves clinical rotations, during which time you will receive basic instruction and hands-on experience with patients in the major medical specialties. The curriculum varies for each medical school, and some medical schools have a more integrated, multidisciplinary program and begin clinical training and patient interaction during the first week.
(AAMC)
Furthermore, Medical schools are divided into two different branches that approach medicine in a very similar yet distinct way. These are known as MD and DO medical schools. MD medical schools offer a degree of Doctor of Medicine and DO medical schools offer a degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. An MD is a Doctor of Medicine who treats conditions with medications or surgery. A DO is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine who focuses on whole-body healing and disease prevention. The difference between an MD and a DO is that an MD studies allopathic medicine and a DO studies osteopathic medicine
Learn more at https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/what-is-a-do/
Moreover, medical schools have different requirements and levels of entrance difficulty, you can learn more about the requirements of different medical schools and MCAT deadlines at https://mec.aamc.org/msar-ui/#/landing
Residency
"While students are in the final year of a four-year medical school they begin applying to medical residencies. Exactly what is residency? Residency medicine is post-graduate training for freshly minted physicians with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree. Fourth-year medical students usually know which medical specialty they want to explore, and they may apply to several medical residency programs that feature that specialty. After positive responses and successful residency interviews, students create a “rank-order list” of preferred residency programs which is matched against a similar list created by the programs. In late March of their final semester—on “Match Day”—students learn if they have been matched with a residency program to fill post-graduate training positions accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Most medical students match with one of their top three preferred residency programs. Students applying to more competitive specialties may be matched with programs lower down their list..." (AUCMED, 2021).
Board Certifications
Board certifications offer an independent evaluation and verification of physicians’ and medical specialists’ skills and expertise. It supports and encourages them in developing their knowledge and skills throughout their careers to meet the standards and requirements for continuing certification. As medical specialties continue to evolve, so does board certification. In this way, it supports specialists in developing their knowledge and skills while it remains the trusted credential patients rely on to help identify qualified specialists.
What is the Difference Between Medical Licensure and Board Certification?
"Medical licensure sets the minimum competency requirements to diagnose and treat patients and is not specialty specific. All physicians and medical specialists in the United States must be licensed to practice medicine by licensing boards in each state. The individual medical licensing authorities, or state medical boards of the various jurisdictions (represented by the Federation of State Medical Boards) grant the licenses to practice medicine."
"Board certification is specific to specialties and subspecialties and represents an individual’s advanced knowledge, training, and skills in a particular area of medicine. While a license is required to practice medicine, board certification is a voluntary process. The 24 ABMS Member Boards are independent organizations entrusted to evaluate physicians’ and medical specialists’ knowledge, skills, and judgment and grant board certification to the individuals who complete board specific requirements including medical licensure, residency/fellowship training, program director attestation, and passing a rigorous exam. Board certification involves a continuing process of professional assessment and learning to support improvements in patient care quality, safety, outcomes, and experiences."
Learn more at https://www.abms.org/board-certification/
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