"THERE ARE FEW professions with higher stakes than the field of medicine. The consequences of a doctor’s decisions can be enormous, leading to either marvelous or disastrous results.
Becoming a physician in the U.S. is a time-consuming endeavor, and anyone who intends to pursue a medical career in this country should expect medical training to last at least seven years beyond college.
Doctors are typically well compensated. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary among U.S. doctors in May 2019 exceeded $200,000.
Here is a list of the rungs on the ladder into the U.S. medical profession.
- Explore your options.
- Take premed classes and earn good grades.
- Participate in meaningful extracurricular activities.
- Prep for the MCAT and ace it.
- Prepare applications to multiple medical schools.
- Impress med school interviewers and get at least one acceptance letter.
- Enroll in the right type of medical school for you.
- Pass the first two portions of the allopathic or osteopathic national medical licensing exam.
- Apply for and match with a residency program.
- Graduate from medical school.
- Start your residency and get a general medical license.
- Achieve board certification within your medical specialty or subspecialty." …