Yes Doctor!
Becoming a doctor in America is very difficult. To begin with, you attend a four-year university and graduate with a degree. The degree doesn’t have to be in physics or biology, but it is necessary to take a large amount of science classes. The next step is taking a test called the MCAT, Medical College Admission Test. Your score on this test determines which medical schools will accept you.
After completing applications to various schools, you must attend interviews in person. Meaning you have to pay to get yourself to any school that asks for an interview with you. Schools look for students who took classes outside of science, such as geography, history and English. Volunteering at a hospital or nursing home are also desirable experiences.
In the first two years of medical school you take classroom-based courses. You start with core classes such as biology, bio chemistry, anatomy and microbiology. You must pass a comprehension exam to continue onto the third year of medical school. The third year consists of working with patients under supervision of each major specialty. Now, you must choose your specialty. In the fourth year, you take electives related to your specialty. You also apply to and interview for residency programs, or teaching hospitals. You must pass another exam.
During your residency, you receive a salary and training in your specialty. The length of your residency depends on your specialty. The shortest is family medicine at three years, and the longest can be seven or more. Finally, you have to take board exams to become a board-certified doctor. In total, you spend at least eleven years studying and training before you are an official doctor.
