Becoming a doctor requires dedication, determination, and no small amount of college education and training. It takes years of rigorous academic work, clinical training, and practical experience to be ready for medical practice, so you may be wondering: how long does it take to become a doctor?
How Long Does It Take to Become a Medical Doctor?
On average, it takes 11 to 15 years to become a fully licensed medical doctor in the U.S. This includes four years of undergraduate education, four years of medical school, and three to seven years of residency, depending on your specialty.
Stages of the Medical Education Timeline
Undergraduate Degree
Before you can go to medical school, you must complete an undergraduate degree to lay the foundation for your medical education. There is no strict requirement for a major to get into medical school, but most aspiring med students pursue bachelor’s degrees in science-related fields like biology, chemistry, or biochemistry. These majors provide the necessary coursework in the sciences to help students understand the concepts in medical school.
The requirements for science-related degrees also overlap with many prerequisites for medical school. These prerequisites include courses like biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, as well as psychology, biochemistry, and neuroscience.
It’s important to maintain a high GPA during your undergraduate education. Medical school admissions are extremely competitive, especially when it comes to academic records. Bolstering your application with extracurricular activities, such as volunteering at a hospital or working as a research assistant, can help you stand out.
Medical School
After you complete your undergraduate degree and get accepted into medical school, you will need to complete four years to earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Both of these degrees are equivalent in their training and qualifications, but DO programs emphasize holistic care and osteopathic manipulation.
Medical school has rigorous coursework for four years at a minimum, though some students may need to take more time to earn their degree. The curriculum covers human anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and a range of medical specialties in both lectures and clinical rotations.
The first two years of med school are focused on classroom training with lectures, small-group discussions, and lab work to cover the theory of medicine. Once that’s complete, students enter clinical rotations for the next two years and learn more about medical specialties like surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, and radiology. This hands-on training tests the theoretical knowledge in real-world clinical settings with practicing physicians.
To graduate from medical school, students need to complete the classroom learning and clinical rotation aspects of training and pass the qualifying exams for an MD or DO.
Combination BS/MD Degrees
Additionally, combination BS/MD programs are available. These programs involve an undergraduate university partnering with a medical school to allow students conditional acceptance to a medical school following the completion of their BS degree. These combination degrees are often six to eight years in length, instead of a minimum of four years for an undergraduate degree followed by four years in medical school.
Medical Residency
The work isn’t over after med school graduation. Aspiring doctors still need additional education to practice medicine independently, which takes place in a medical residency. This environment helps students gain practical experience and specialized training in a particular medical field.
Medical residency programs have varying requirements and durations. General practice residencies are around three years, but specialized fields like neurology or surgery can have longer residencies.[1] Residents work under the supervision of attending physicians – doctors who are licensed to practice medicine independently.
Like medical school, residency programs are highly competitive. Medical students often apply to residency programs using the National Residency Matching Program and go through interviews before earning a spot.[2]
With the time in medical school and residency, aspiring doctors spend six to eight years in training after their undergraduate education before they become licensed physicians who can practice independently.
Do Different Types of Doctors Require More Education?
Yes. All doctors must complete an undergraduate degree, medical school, and a residency to become a licensed physician. If they want to specialize, they may need to undergo additional training, such as:
Fellowships
Residencies prepare aspiring doctors for general practice in a specialty, but some doctors choose to enter a fellowship to deepen their knowledge in that specialty. There’s no requirement for a fellowship, but they are helpful to doctors who want to become experts in specific areas of medicine, like oncology or plastic surgery.
Like residencies, fellowship programs can vary. Most fellowships last one to three years, allowing fellows to work closely with specialist doctors to gain advanced knowledge, training, and research experience. Fellowships are also used by doctors who aspire to leadership roles or academic roles.
Continuing Medical Education
Though doctors become licensed to practice independently after residency, the education never really ends. Medicine is constantly evolving due to new technologies, research, and discoveries. A doctor’s education can become outdated quickly, so they’re required to engage in continuing medical education (CME) throughout their medical careers to stay current and maintain their licenses.
Continuing medical education comes in many formats, including seminars, workshops, conferences, and online courses that cover advancements in the field of medicine. This ensures that doctors stay up to date on patient care and medical trends to provide the best care.
Board Certification Exams
Doctors with a specialty take additional exams to become board-certified in that specialty. To become board-certified, doctors must complete a medical degree, accredited residency training, and pass a board-certification exam. The requirements vary by specialty, but the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Member Boards require a medical degree, residency training, and an exam, while other boards may require CME and ethics courses with recertification.[3]
Start Planning Your Path to Medicine
Becoming a doctor is a long journey of education, training, and commitment. From rigorous science courses in undergraduate school to competitive medical school applications and residencies, doctors invest a lot of time and dedication into their careers.
If you’re an aspiring doctor, it’s never too early to start planning your future. InGenius Prep can help you with every step, from the courses you take in high school and medical school admissions counseling, to preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Contact us today for a free consultation!