How to Become a Doctor

Edited by Sondra C, Ben Rubenstein, Will, Eric and 184 others

Many people have dreams of becoming a doctor and saving lives, but the training required to accomplish this goal is extremely rigorous. Here are some things to think about as you consider a career as a physician.

1 Volunteer. Many people desire to become a doctor because it seems like a great way to help people. Not only will volunteering give you a chance to help people, but it will also look good on your CV if you do decide to pursue medicine. Consider volunteering at a hospital, free clinic, doctor's office, or as an EMT. Medical work experience can be tough to find; write to your family doctor, and use family connections to find shadowing opportunities. If you're 16 or older you can look at shadowing doctors abroad with schemes like Gap Medics. Also, be open to volunteer work that is not directly medical related, such as working in a soup kitchen or Habitat for Humanity.

2 Commit to your goal and strive for excellence.

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• Think ahead. Realize that the road to becoming a physician is long, hard, and full of many obstacles. You'll work long hours, deal with difficult people, and your life during this process will practically revolve around your work. People's lives will depend on your commitment to the job and your ability to stay calm and make decisions under pressure.
• Commit. While there is a well-defined path to becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) or Doctor of Medicine (MD), success depends more on a commitment to your goals and interests than on doing exactly what every other applicant does. When you interview for a spot in a medical school, the admissions committee wants to see that you are committed to achieving your goals - no matter what they are. ^[1]
• Excel. In order to get into medical school, you'll not only need excellent grades, but you'll also need to demonstrate that you are a responsible, well-rounded person. Through your community service record, show that you enjoy helping people. Get to know your teachers and supervisors and earn their respect--their recommendation letters will be essential for your getting interview invitations from medical schools.
  

4 Go to undergraduate school for pre-medicine. Graduate from a 4-year college or university. Choose an institution with a strong pre-med program, or even one that is affiliated with a particular medical school. (Some institutions offer a program which allows you to complete your undergraduate degree and medical degree at the same time.) In order to qualify for admission to medical school, you will have needed to take the following prerequisite courses, along with other subjects which will be outlined in a particular medical school's admissions requirements:

• 1 year of general chemistry with laboratory courses.
• 1 year of organic chemistry with laboratory courses.
• 1 year of biology with laboratory courses.
• 1 year of physics with laboratory courses.
• 1 year of English.
• 1 year of calculus.
  
  5) Take the required exam. Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), or if you live in the UK take the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) and the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT). Strive to get above a 10 in each of the first three sections in order to get a competitive MCAT score.^[2] Take a practice test to find out where your baseline is and to know how much progress you need to make. Consider taking a review course such as those offered by Kaplan if review courses are helpful to you. You will be tested in the following areas, the first three of which are graded on a scale of 1-15:
• Verbal Reasoning (Reading Comprehension)
• Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics)
• Biological Sciences (Organic Chemistry and Biology)
• Writing Sample (two essay questions)
  
  6)Complete medical school. Once you've applied and been accepted to medical school, here's what you can expect:
• First two years - learn the fundamentals of the medical sciences through study of the core subjects: anatomy, physiology, histology, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacology, and microbiology; learn to take medical histories and perform a physical exam; learn the principles behind diagnosing disease
• United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), Step 1 and/or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) Level 1 - tests your knowledge of all topics studied in years 1 and 2; in most schools, you must pass this in order to progress into the third year.
• Third year - 1-2 months of each of the major medical specialties (internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, OB/GYN, surgery, psychiatry); work with patients under the supervision of experienced physicians in hospitals and clinics, learning acute, chronic, preventive, and rehabilitative care, as well as the social skills that give a doctor good bedside manner
• Determine which specialty you want to pursue.
• Fourth year - Take electives based on preferred specialty; apply to and interview at residency programs; pass the USMLE Step 2 or COMLEX Level 2, which includes a Clinical Knowledge portion (CK, tests topics covered in year 3) and a Clinical Skills portion (CS, tests your ability to take a history and examine a patient).
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  Considering a career in medicine?

  Medicine is a popular career choice and competition for places at medical school is extremely high.
  
  

  Give yourself a headstart!

  Use this essential annual guide to help you decide if a career in medicine is right for you
  
• Find answers to commonly asked questions about becoming a doctor
• Get the latest information on entry requirements and student funding
• What is medical school really like? Watch our short videos
• Need advice on medical specialties? Read ours!

We have created this guide as a useful overview on how to begin a career in medicine.
This resource is produced annually to reflect any changes in medical education, including entry requirements, funding arrangements and career structure.
While it raises some questions that potential medical students should consider, its main purpose is to answer common questions about becoming a doctor and provide relevant information and sign-posting where further information can be obtained.
Don't forget to also talk to your career advisors at your school or college.

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