3 answers
Ogunrinde
Student
California City, California
1
Question
Asked
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What do I need to become a medical doctor?
I will like to pursue a course in college of health science called mbbs
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3 answers
Karin P.
Lecturer
376
Answers
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Ogunrinde,
The mbbs is a degree that exists only in the Commonwealth countries. It's a different structure. To become a medical doctor in the US you need to go to medical school and earn you MD or DO.
You first need to earn an undergrad degree in any discipline. Many choose biology or biochemistry, but it can really be anything as long as you earn a bachelors (4 years).
You also need to take certain pre-requisite math and science courses.
Every medical school has slightly different requirements, so make sure you check with the schools you would consider what their current rules are. You also need to take the MCAT before you apply to medical school.
You'll be in med school for 4 years. The first 2 years are mostly classroom. The last 2 years are clinical. You'll rotate through several specialties. After passing exams you will be an MD or an DO depending on the path you chose.
Next, you'll choose a specialty to do your residency in, i.e. get further training. Residencies can last between 3 and 7 years depending on the specialty.
Getting into medical school is very competitive. You need to start early to prepare. Obviously, you need a good GPA and a high MCAT score. In high-school, you should take AP or IB or double enrollment (whatever advanced program your school offers), focussing on math and science courses. You should also start to volunteer or job-shadow in a medical environment, e.g. a hospital. Medical schools expect you to have medical experience and demonstrate your dedication to medicine and giving back to the community.
You'll also need letters of recommendation and a personal statement/essay. You might be invited to an interview as part of the selection process. So, start early to get all your ducks in a row.
I left some links for the requirements and admission process for Harvard Medical School as an example. You need to look up similar information for schools you would consider.
I hope this helps! All the best on your path to become an awesome doctor!
KP
https://meded.hms.harvard.edu/admissions-before-you-apply
https://meded.hms.harvard.edu/admissions-prerequisite-courses#requiredcourses
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/research-rankings
The mbbs is a degree that exists only in the Commonwealth countries. It's a different structure. To become a medical doctor in the US you need to go to medical school and earn you MD or DO.
You first need to earn an undergrad degree in any discipline. Many choose biology or biochemistry, but it can really be anything as long as you earn a bachelors (4 years).
You also need to take certain pre-requisite math and science courses.
Every medical school has slightly different requirements, so make sure you check with the schools you would consider what their current rules are. You also need to take the MCAT before you apply to medical school.
You'll be in med school for 4 years. The first 2 years are mostly classroom. The last 2 years are clinical. You'll rotate through several specialties. After passing exams you will be an MD or an DO depending on the path you chose.
Next, you'll choose a specialty to do your residency in, i.e. get further training. Residencies can last between 3 and 7 years depending on the specialty.
Getting into medical school is very competitive. You need to start early to prepare. Obviously, you need a good GPA and a high MCAT score. In high-school, you should take AP or IB or double enrollment (whatever advanced program your school offers), focussing on math and science courses. You should also start to volunteer or job-shadow in a medical environment, e.g. a hospital. Medical schools expect you to have medical experience and demonstrate your dedication to medicine and giving back to the community.
You'll also need letters of recommendation and a personal statement/essay. You might be invited to an interview as part of the selection process. So, start early to get all your ducks in a row.
I left some links for the requirements and admission process for Harvard Medical School as an example. You need to look up similar information for schools you would consider.
I hope this helps! All the best on your path to become an awesome doctor!
KP
Karin recommends the following next steps:
Duaa Sarayi
Psychology and pre med student
8
Answers
Richardson, Texas
Updated
Duaa’s Answer
Hello Ogunrinde,
Starting on the journey to become a medical doctor entails a sequence of educational steps, beginning with an undergraduate degree that is rich in science courses. Following this, your path will lead you to medical school where you'll strive to earn either a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. After medical school, a residency program in your chosen medical specialty awaits you. Many doctors also choose to delve deeper into their field by pursuing a fellowship. In essence, the key to becoming a medical doctor lies in obtaining a graduate degree, specifically an M.D. or D.O.
Sharing my personal journey, I am currently majoring in Psychology and pre-med. I first earned an Associate of Science degree before transitioning to a university to acquire a Bachelor of Psychology. To meet the science prerequisites for medical school, I pursued an Associate of Psychology degree at a college. My ultimate aspiration is to attend medical school and become a medical doctor. My academic foundation in Psychology and pre-med fuels my determination to carve a career in medicine. I am resolute in my goal to secure a place in either a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) or Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program. I am fully committed to fulfilling all the necessary prerequisites to realize my dream of becoming a medical doctor.
Remember, your options are not limited to just Med school, DO schools are equally a great choice. I believe in you, you've got this 🥰!!!
Starting on the journey to become a medical doctor entails a sequence of educational steps, beginning with an undergraduate degree that is rich in science courses. Following this, your path will lead you to medical school where you'll strive to earn either a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. After medical school, a residency program in your chosen medical specialty awaits you. Many doctors also choose to delve deeper into their field by pursuing a fellowship. In essence, the key to becoming a medical doctor lies in obtaining a graduate degree, specifically an M.D. or D.O.
Sharing my personal journey, I am currently majoring in Psychology and pre-med. I first earned an Associate of Science degree before transitioning to a university to acquire a Bachelor of Psychology. To meet the science prerequisites for medical school, I pursued an Associate of Psychology degree at a college. My ultimate aspiration is to attend medical school and become a medical doctor. My academic foundation in Psychology and pre-med fuels my determination to carve a career in medicine. I am resolute in my goal to secure a place in either a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) or Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program. I am fully committed to fulfilling all the necessary prerequisites to realize my dream of becoming a medical doctor.
Remember, your options are not limited to just Med school, DO schools are equally a great choice. I believe in you, you've got this 🥰!!!
Rita Chuang
Physician
189
Answers
Henderson, Nevada
Updated
Rita’s Answer
This is the road to medicine:
4 years high school
4 years college
4 years medical school
minimum 3 years of internship and residency depending on your field (peds, internal med, psych, surgery etc)
You can major in whatever field you like. Just make sure you get good grades. You also will need to take the MCAT which is the equivalent of the SAT to get into medical school. Most people major in the sciences. I was a Molecular Biology major. Why? Because on the MCAT, they will test you on some of these subjects so it will be helpful...at least when I took the MCAT. However, I just spoke with someone who said his son got into UCLA Medical School as an English major so it doesn't matter.
I recommend every student who is interested in medicine work as a scribe. It pays you but that's not important. You interact with doctors and you see what they are doing on a daily basis. If you can't stand the job, don't go to medical school. The medical students that worked as scribes were so much sharper because they had the background. I hate the say this but the science I learned in college did not help me in medical school and did not help me because a better doctor.
4 years high school
4 years college
4 years medical school
minimum 3 years of internship and residency depending on your field (peds, internal med, psych, surgery etc)
You can major in whatever field you like. Just make sure you get good grades. You also will need to take the MCAT which is the equivalent of the SAT to get into medical school. Most people major in the sciences. I was a Molecular Biology major. Why? Because on the MCAT, they will test you on some of these subjects so it will be helpful...at least when I took the MCAT. However, I just spoke with someone who said his son got into UCLA Medical School as an English major so it doesn't matter.
I recommend every student who is interested in medicine work as a scribe. It pays you but that's not important. You interact with doctors and you see what they are doing on a daily basis. If you can't stand the job, don't go to medical school. The medical students that worked as scribes were so much sharper because they had the background. I hate the say this but the science I learned in college did not help me in medical school and did not help me because a better doctor.