<p>Right now I plan on going into medicine to be a surgeon. However, the idea of being a college professor has always intrigued me. I'm contemplating doing that after spending a bunch of time as a doctor. What does it take to become a professor (either at a university or a medical school)?</p>
<p>a Ph.D</p>
<p>+10</p>
<p>or an MD (especially for medical school)</p>
<p>You will need a PhD (mostly) to teach the basis sciences courses. MD’s usually come in a guess lecturers for basic science courses. Most MDs in academia are clinical professors. Their job is more to teach the residents and they have less of an emphasis on research. Part of the requirement for being a PhD professor is lots of ongoing research (+productivity). That’s how they raise in ranks. Its also a way to distinguish a “lecturer” vs a “asst/assoc/full professor” that teaches a class. Lecturers have PhDs, but dont do research.</p>
<p>You can teach at a community college with a master’s degree though they like doctorates. There are also other degrees below doctorate that are considered terminal (J.D. and M.F.A.), so if you were a lawyer, you could teach in journalism and business schools as well as law schools.</p>
<p>^ a JD is a doctorate - it is the equivalent for the law profession of the MD for the medical profession.</p>
<p>I’m also not 100% sure that a JD is considered the terminal degree, as technically I think that distinction belongs to the JSD or SJD.</p>
<p>But MDM is of course right, than many professors have JD’s.</p>
<p>So with an MD (assuming I get there eventually) I would be pretty much limited to teaching 3rd and 4th year medical school students?</p>
<p>Most of my professors in basic science part of medical school were PhD level in physiology,pharmacology,etc.
When I was in my last 2 years, I was taught by clinical physicians, all who had an MD but some also had MPH, MBA, PhD,etc. A second “Dr” degree is not required.
Physicians in training -interns and residents, are taught only by medical doctors, whether it be a surgeon, a pediatrician,etc. Some of those clinical professors may or may not have additional “alphabet” letters after the MD degree.
Depending on the particular medical center’s requirements and the length of time after finishing training, “professors” are either clinical instructors, then assistant professors, then associate professor, then full professor. Most associate and full professors have done a lot of clinical and/or lab research to achieve that distinction.</p>