2 answers
Chevelle
Student
Gallup, New Mexico
1
Question
Asked
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How many years would it take to become a doctor?
I'm someone who seems to be interested in becoming a doctor because I want to be able to help people & just learn a lot more about the human body or different types of medicine. And there seems to be a lot of training going on for the medical field so I was wondering how long it would take. #medical-school
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2 answers
Rachel Liu, PT, DPT
Physical Therapist
6
Answers
Portland, Oregon
Updated
Rachel’s Answer
Hi Chevelle,
I'm not a Medical Doctor (MD), but it typically takes 4 years of undergraduate studies (Bachelor's degree), 4 years of Medical School, and at least 3 years of residency training before you are able to practice as an MD. Depending on what specialty you want to pursue, there may be additional training in fellowships that are required after residency. So it will take at least 11 years for you to become a full-fledged doctor after graduating high school.
I'm a Physical Therapist (PT) and I think that if you are interested in helping people recover from injuries and learning about various aspects about the body, PT is a great field! It requires 4 years of undergraduate studies and then 3 years of graduate school. Then, you're ready to practice as a PT. There are many different settings that you can practice in, such as outpatient clinics, inpatient (hospital), rehab settings, and nursing homes. We can also pursue specialties in neurologic, orthopedic, cardiovascular/pulmonary, pediatric, geriatric clinical care. Other rehab professions include Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology.
As a PT, OT, or SLP, you spend much more time with patients and have the ability to establish a relationship with them because you typically see them 2x/week for 2-3 months sometimes. You are able to see them through their recovery and witness their progress! Whereas being a Medical Doctor can be more of a routine (1x/year) schedule of seeing patients - you get to know patients after seeing them for many years.
Ultimately, I think it would be wise to research other paths of medicine (not just MD) as there are plenty of other careers that give you in-depth knowledge about anatomy, biomechanics, recovery from injury, etc in much less time and with less debt. Let me know if you have any more questions about PT!
Research other medical professions
I'm not a Medical Doctor (MD), but it typically takes 4 years of undergraduate studies (Bachelor's degree), 4 years of Medical School, and at least 3 years of residency training before you are able to practice as an MD. Depending on what specialty you want to pursue, there may be additional training in fellowships that are required after residency. So it will take at least 11 years for you to become a full-fledged doctor after graduating high school.
I'm a Physical Therapist (PT) and I think that if you are interested in helping people recover from injuries and learning about various aspects about the body, PT is a great field! It requires 4 years of undergraduate studies and then 3 years of graduate school. Then, you're ready to practice as a PT. There are many different settings that you can practice in, such as outpatient clinics, inpatient (hospital), rehab settings, and nursing homes. We can also pursue specialties in neurologic, orthopedic, cardiovascular/pulmonary, pediatric, geriatric clinical care. Other rehab professions include Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology.
As a PT, OT, or SLP, you spend much more time with patients and have the ability to establish a relationship with them because you typically see them 2x/week for 2-3 months sometimes. You are able to see them through their recovery and witness their progress! Whereas being a Medical Doctor can be more of a routine (1x/year) schedule of seeing patients - you get to know patients after seeing them for many years.
Ultimately, I think it would be wise to research other paths of medicine (not just MD) as there are plenty of other careers that give you in-depth knowledge about anatomy, biomechanics, recovery from injury, etc in much less time and with less debt. Let me know if you have any more questions about PT!
Rachel recommends the following next steps:
Estelle Archer
Gynecologist
1322
Answers
United States
Updated
Estelle’s Answer
In the US, to apply to medical school, you need a bachelor's degree. Any 4-year university should suffice.
Pick a major that interests you so you don't mind devoting a majority of your hours to studying. You will need to get good grades in college in order to apply for medical school. At the medical school I attended, the average GPA is reported to be 3.85, so even one or two B's can hurt your chances of acceptance.
Aside from this, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the prerequisite courses.
Typical medical school prerequisites include:
Biology: Lecture – 4 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
General Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Organic Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Biochemistry: Lecture – 1 semester
General Physics: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Math: Statistics – 1 semester
English: Rhetoric (Composition) and Literature – 2 semesters
Try to find opportunities to pursue research.
Volunteer at your local hospital or low-income clinic. Ask physicians, PAs or other clinical providers if you can shadow them.
During college study for and complete the MCAT. Devote an entire summer to studying for the MCAT and consider paying for a prep course if you can afford it.
Apply to medical schools during your last year of college.
Medical school takes 4 years to complete.
After medical school physicians complete a residency for additional training. These can last 3-6 years and are sometimes followed by an additional year or two of fellowship subspecialty training.
Pick a major that interests you so you don't mind devoting a majority of your hours to studying. You will need to get good grades in college in order to apply for medical school. At the medical school I attended, the average GPA is reported to be 3.85, so even one or two B's can hurt your chances of acceptance.
Aside from this, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the prerequisite courses.
Typical medical school prerequisites include:
Biology: Lecture – 4 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
General Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Organic Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Biochemistry: Lecture – 1 semester
General Physics: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Math: Statistics – 1 semester
English: Rhetoric (Composition) and Literature – 2 semesters
Try to find opportunities to pursue research.
Volunteer at your local hospital or low-income clinic. Ask physicians, PAs or other clinical providers if you can shadow them.
During college study for and complete the MCAT. Devote an entire summer to studying for the MCAT and consider paying for a prep course if you can afford it.
Apply to medical schools during your last year of college.
Medical school takes 4 years to complete.
After medical school physicians complete a residency for additional training. These can last 3-6 years and are sometimes followed by an additional year or two of fellowship subspecialty training.