if i want to become a doctor what should i major in
Medicine is one of the almost challenging yet rewarding fields a pupil tin enter. But earlier you decide whether condign a doctor is right for you, it'south of import that you know every footstep you'll have to take along the fashion. Here, I'll walk you through exactly how to become a dr., starting with high school. This career is definitely not for everyone—information technology requires huge investments of fourth dimension, coin, and attempt—but if this path is correct for you, this guide is what you should read to commencement preparing yourself early for a successful career as a physician. Medicine is a super competitive and rigorous field: doctors have a lot of responsibleness and must spend tons of time and coin on their training. Healthcare is also a growing field, which means that the demand for doctors will keep to increment in the coming years. Equally long as you exercise all the necessary steps beneath, you shouldn't take an result finding a task equally a doctor. Let'due south take a look at the career outlook for physicians and surgeons using data from the Agency of Labor Statistics: Note that pay and job outlook tin can vary depending on what type of md you desire to be, and so if y'all have a detail specialty in heed (such as dermatology or rheumatology), I encourage y'all to do your own research on that field'south projected career outlook. To lend yous a mitt, we've created the following nautical chart, which presents the median salaries and task outlooks for various types of doctors (arranged in gild of highest salary to lowest): Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Every bit you can come across from the chart, all of the above medical specialties brand half dozen figures a yr. They do have some differences in terms of job growth, however. The job growth rate for psychiatrists is expected to exist a well-above-average fourteen% in the next ten years, but specialties such equally surgeons and pediatricians are expected to shrink slightly. In that location are a lot of jobs in each of these fields though, so don't think there won't exist a need for them in several years, fifty-fifty if their numbers are expected to contract a bit. Becoming a md is a pretty circuitous, multi-step process. Here are the 7 major steps nosotros'll be covering in more particular below (you can skip around by clicking the links to each footstep): Pace one: Do well in high school Still interested in how to get a doctor? Fourth dimension to become into the nitty-gritty of each major footstep. If you lot're serious nearly becoming a medico, you lot'll practice yourself a large favor past getting focused in high school. As mentioned, this is a pretty competitive field, so the earlier you showtime distinguishing yourself as a great educatee, the easier the procedure will be. Here's what yous can practise in high school to assist set you for after steps. To fulfill all pre-med requirements in higher (I'll get to that in a bit), you'll accept to have quite a few science and math classes. Lay a solid foundation by taking a scientific discipline and math grade every year, and get in a priority to accept advanced and/or AP courses. You'll as well desire to keep your GPA (in these classes and all others) every bit loftier as possible. This is an of import step considering it gives you a tiny glimpse into what college and medical schoolhouse will be like. If you don't enjoy scientific discipline and math courses in high school, it'due south unlikely yous'll enjoy them subsequently on. Utilise this equally an opportunity to retrieve critically about whether you'd like to pursue this career. One of the unmarried near of import parts of your higher application is what classes you choose to take in high school (in conjunction with how well you do in those classes). Our team of PrepScholar admissions experts accept compiled their knowledge into this single guide to planning out your high schoolhouse class schedule. We'll advise y'all on how to remainder your schedule between regular and honors/AP/IB courses, how to choose your extracurriculars, and what classes you tin can't afford not to take. Being a good doctor isn't just well-nigh beingness a science and math whiz—information technology'south about existence invested in caring for other people. Show how you intendance about helping others past volunteering consistently in loftier school. It's best if you can do volunteer piece of work that'south at to the lowest degree somewhat related to healthcare. You might run into whether there are any opportunities at a nearby hospital or clinic (for example, I had friends in high school who helped escort people who were visiting family members in the infirmary). These volunteer opportunities tin can too assist you decide fairly early on whether a career in medicine is something you're actually interested in pursuing. Of course, you don't have to volunteer exclusively in healthcare environments—whatsoever community service opportunity in which you're helping other people is a practiced fit. Read more almost the benefits of customs service, and then cheque out our list of the best places to volunteer. Is working in healthcare a good fit for yous? Volunteering in the field is a swell fashion to find out. To get into a bang-up medical school, it helps to get to a great college. And to get into a great college, it helps to become a high score on the SAT/Human activity. Plan on taking your first test past the end of your junior year—this gives you fourth dimension to take your test of choice once again if you want to attempt to raise your scores. Read these guides for more info on how to go a dandy Sabbatum/Human action score: Your senior autumn volition be all near researching and applying to colleges. You don't necessarily demand to go to a school with a defended pre-med program, but it'll be amend if your college or university has strong science and math programs, since these will be more helpful in preparing y'all for the MCAT and med school. If yous want to go to a top-tier individual school, you'll have to submit applications with the post-obit: Some corking public schools might non require letters of rec or applications essays. Nevertheless, information technology'south wise to start preparing these materials early on in the college awarding process if yous think you'll utilize to any colleges that practice require them. If y'all're still working on college research, I suggest checking out these guides: College is where y'all actually showtime focusing your studies and preparing for a career in medicine. Here's everything y'all should practise every bit an undergraduate to prepare yourself for the next major stride in becoming a doc: medical school. Near medical schools crave students to have taken a series of courses as undergraduates. This ensures that they have stiff foundational knowledge in math and science and will be well prepared for the more avant-garde courses they'll take to take as med students. Here are the core classes that most medical schools require: This comes to 12 course requirements at minimum, which doesn't give you lot a ton of wiggle room if you likewise have to encounter requirements for a major without much pre-med overlap (e.g., foreign languages or studio art). Because of this, many pre-med students choose related majors such every bit biology or chemistry—this makes it much easier to meet both pre-med requirements and the requirements for your major. If you make up one's mind after in higher that you'd like to apply to medical school but y'all know you don't have time to fit in all these requirements, don't panic. It'southward adequately mutual for people to wrap up pre-med requirements by taking an extra semester or two in college (some schools phone call these students "super seniors"). You might also expect into total-fourth dimension mail service-bac programs if y'all have more a few requirements left to fulfill. These options mean actress fourth dimension and actress expenses, but they're helpful (and sometimes necessary) steps to accept before applying to med school. Your transcript volition be a very important part of your med school applications, and then your academic functioning should really be your #1 priority as you work your way through college. You lot'll need a few strong letters of recommendation from respected faculty members when you submit your med school applications—use this fact to motivate you to network with equally many people as possible. Develop relationships with professors and mentors by going to their office hours, actively participating in class, and taking opportunities to work on research projects. Your nerdy professors will prove to exist invaluable resources when you're applying to med school, but just if you have relationships with them! Having some research experience under your belt is a large plus for med schoolhouse applications, peculiarly if you can squeeze in a publication or two. Working in a biological science or chemistry lab would probably be about helpful for medical school. There are a couple means you can get research experience as an undergraduate: Medical schools are going to look at your customs service record as an important role of your application. You lot should make time for volunteer piece of work in college just as you did in high school. The skilful news is that information technology should be easier to find relevant advocacy and customs service clubs and organizations in college. Here are a few instance activities you might be interested in (although this list is past no ways exhaustive): It'south better to stick with a few clubs or activities over the long term, as opposed to jumping around between activities year later year. This demonstrates that you lot're consistent and reliable; it also opens upwards opportunities for leadership roles, which will bear witness to be a big plus for your med schoolhouse applications. The Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, is used as a predictor of your success in med school, and equally such is weighted pretty heavily when compared to other parts of your awarding. Most students take the MCAT their junior twelvemonth—this is arguably the nigh optimal fourth dimension to accept the exam. Why? Because by this bespeak you will have gone through many of your pre-med courses, making studying for the MCAT a lot easier. In total, information technology takes seven and a half hours to complete the MCAT. The sections on the test include the post-obit: Each section is scored on a range from 118 to 132, with a median score of 125. You'll receive an individual score for each section in improver to an overall score. Full scores range from 472 to 578, with the average score sitting at most 500. This scoring organisation is all the same relatively new (since 2015), so there isn't much historical data available we can utilise to predict what a good or "safe" MCAT score volition be for med schoolhouse admissions. Current percentiles betoken that around fifty% of examination takers score 500, and 74% score 508, or what MCAT-Prep.com calls a "good" MCAT score. As such, the new MCAT encourages admissions officers to look favorably upon students who score around 500 or above. The MCAT is administered thirty times per year, so you have quite a fleck of flexibility when it comes to scheduling the examination. Be prepared for some hefty expenses—information technology costs $325 to register for the exam. At that place are Fee Assistance Programs available for students who might not be able to shoulder these expenses. After your scores are calculated, they're automatically released to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS); you won't have to submit them separately to any schools unless they don't use AMCAS. If you lot're adequately prepared the first fourth dimension yous take the MCAT, you could save yourself the price of an actress registration fee. Plan on studying 200-300 hours if you desire to do well on the test. Since it's a seven-and-a-half-hour test, you actually don't want to take to take it twice. In that location are several unlike ways you tin prep for the MCAT: You tin also buy an official exercise test for the MCAT through the Clan of American Medical Colleges for $35, in addition to other official study guides and prep materials. The medical schoolhouse application process is extremely long. If you lot want to start med school the fall afterwards you lot graduate from college, you'll have to start your applications your junior year. The average student applies to about 13 schools to optimize their chances of getting in—I wouldn't recommend that you put together a list much smaller than that. The Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) website is one of the best tools for looking into important medical school data. For a $28 year-long subscription, you can easily access the following: As with any school or program, there are med school ranking lists. Because U.s.a. medical schools' admissions criteria and curricula are so stringent and rigorous, though, admission to any schoolhouse in the country should be considered an achievement. If yous terminate up in medical school and follow through with a residency at a good hospital, you'll have no trouble finding piece of work as a doctor. At that place are two types of physicians in the United states: Both types are fully licensed physicians and are often very similar in the mode that they practice medicine—they just receive degrees from slightly dissimilar types of programs. We're nearly used to hearing about doctors with MDs, and so if yous're non familiar with DOs, I encourage y'all to do more research on these types of programs. DOs receive additional specialty preparation in certain areas, including using the hands to diagnose/treat illnesses and injuries. You can read more than about osteopathic medicine on the American Osteopathic Association site. Allopathic or osteopathic: which type of med school is correct for yous? At that place are iii parts of the med schoolhouse application process. You transport in your primary application by June the year earlier your first year of med school. Near med schools employ AMCAS, which is like a Mutual Awarding for med schools. This application includes official transcripts, a personal statement, your resume/CV, and your MCAT scores. Start preparing these materials a few months before submission. This usually happens in July-August on a typical application timeline (i.due east., ane on which you submit the primary application in June). At this bespeak, a school volition either reject your chief application or ask you to complete its secondary application. The secondary application volition differ for each school yous utilize to. Sometimes, schools just ask you lot to submit an application fee to continue with the application process. Other times, though, schools ship fairly extensive lists of essay prompts (e.g., "Why are you interested in attending this medical school?") for you to reply. If the medical school is happy with your primary and secondary applications, you'll move on to the next part. If a school definitely does (or definitely does not) want to interview you, you'll hear back from them pretty rapidly. Some students are left in limbo for a while equally schools deliberate over what to do with them. Interviews are the final decision-making phase. Your interview will either make or interruption your application. Preparing for interviews is tough considering each school (and each interviewer) will have its own priorities and questions. Overall, you want to come off (1) committed to the medical track, (ii) confident in your abilities, (3) eager to learn, (4) warm and empathetic, and (5) grateful for the opportunity to exist in that location. Later fulfilling all the pre-med requirements and submitting all those applications, you finally make it here: medical school. You'll spend four years hither, simply that doesn't hateful the experience will be very similar to that of your undergraduate education—there are more decisions to be fabricated, more than opportunities for hands-on experiences, and more than professional licensing requirements to worry well-nigh. Hither'southward an overview of what these four years of med school will look like: There are some other important steps forth the way, such as lath exams, that I'll address in this section too. You won't have much say in what courses you'll take during your first two years of medical school. Your instruction during this time will be an extension of your pre-med requirements—you'll have many advanced courses that will give you the important biological, anatomical, and chemical foundations you lot'll need to work as a doc. These courses volition patently have an important impact on your GPA, which will affect how competitive you are when y'all're matched for your residency/internship (we'll become to that soon). As such, information technology's important to keep your grades upwards—your hereafter self will cheers! At the cease of your second year, you'll take the Us Medical Licensing Test, or the USMLE-i. This examination assesses your medical competency to see whether you should continue with your education and medical licensure (another name for the USMLE exams is "Boards"). At almost med schools, you need to pass this examination in gild to progress to your third twelvemonth of school. In your tertiary year, you'll first working with patients in a medical setting (nether a supervisor) inside different medical specialties. This helps you lot gain hands-on experience equally a dr., but, perhaps more importantly, you'll learn more well-nigh what sort of specialty you may be interested in. After the majority of your rotations experiences in your third year, you'll take to decide what sort of medicine yous'd like to pursue. This decision will dictate what kinds of elective courses you lot'll take in your fourth and final twelvemonth of med schoolhouse, every bit well as how long you'll spend in your residency (we give more than data on this in the Residency section below). Med school rotations are a chip more productive than the one the hamster's doing on this cycle. Every bit you now know, your fourth twelvemonth of med school is dedicated mainly to taking elective courses to gear up you for your preferred specialty and continuing gaining easily-on feel. You lot'll also have the USMLE Level 2 (which is similar to the first examination, except that it but tests more advanced noesis); this exam includes a clinical knowledge part and a clinical skills portion. Residencies, also known every bit internships, are supervised positions at teaching hospitals. You volition be matched to an available residency position through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). You'll be able to note your preferences, but you won't have ultimate controlling ability over your matches. One time the NRMP sets y'all up, yous sort of have to take what y'all're given. You will spend at least three years in your residency program simply may spend more fourth dimension at that place depending on your specialty. In your first twelvemonth, you'll exist known as an intern and volition be at the lesser of the totem pole—merely not for long. During your residency, you'll also need to pass your final licensing test (USMLE-3). The third and final licensing exam is taken during the kickoff year of your residency. It tests your ability to utilize your medical cognition and provide care in an unsupervised setting, which is what you will have to practice equally a licensed dr.. Y'all'll go a salary as a resident, only it won't be much. The average resident earns about $48,000 a twelvemonth, which should cover living expenses and your minimum medical school loan payments. Here are some example specialties and their respective residency requirements: Once you've finished your residency and passed all your boards, you lot can officially do independently as a licensed physician! Information technology probably won't take you long to find work. Yous might want to practice in a hospital, clinic, or private practise. Y'all'll take to keep up with Continuing Medical Instruction in order to do every bit a physician, no matter your specialty; this ensures that you stay educated and up-to-date on the latest research and best medical practices. Your education doesn't stop here—you'll be working to keep upwards with new information and best practices for the residue of your medical career. This is a ton of information to take in at once, particularly if yous're at the beginning of this procedure or if you're withal unsure about entering the medical field. To recap, here are the seven major steps you lot must accept to get a doctor: You should also go on in heed two of import takeaways: Becoming a doctor is definitely non for everyone—getting into medical school is really tough, and you still have a lot of training to complete even after you graduate. Simply if you decide you want to enter the medical profession, y'all now have the info y'all demand to start off on the right foot! If you want more info on what to do to fix for med schoolhouse while y'all're in high school, yous're in the right place. Check out these great medical programs for high school students and our listing of the best books every pre-med pupil should read. Starting to inquiry different college or med school options? Starting time off with this consummate list of BA/MD and BS/MD programs in the U.s.a.. You might also be interested in our step-by-step guide on how to get into a BS/Md program. Thinking of having a different medical career? Larn how to get a dentist or a veterinarian with our in-depth guides. Want to amend your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test near the top v strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for costless now: 
What Is the Career Outlook for Medical Doctors?
Type of Doctor Median Salary (2020) Task Growth Rate (2020-2030) Anesthesiologists ≥$208,000 4% Obstetricians and gynecologists ≥$208,000 0% Psychiatrists ≥$208,000 xiii% Surgeons ≥$208,000 -1% Internists, general ≥$208,000 2% Physicians, all other $200,890 4% Family unit medicine $207,380 six% Pediatricians, full general $177,130 -2% How to Become a Doctor: 7-Step Career Path Overview
Pace 2: Go into a great college
Step three: Have the MCAT (and get a good score)
Pace iv: Apply and get into medical schoolhouse
Step 5: Attend medical school and pass your boards to go a licensed md
Stride half-dozen: Cull your specialty and complete your residency
Pace 7: Take and pass your concluding boards to practise independentlyPace 1: Do Well in High School
Focus on Science and Math
Practice Enough of Community Service
Get a Great Score on the Deed/SAT
Submit Stellar College Applications
Footstep ii: Get Into a Bang-up College
Run into All Pre-Med Requirements
Keep Your Grades Upwards
Build Relationships With Professors and Mentors
Get Some Research Experience
Continue With Community Service
Step three: Take (and Ace!) the MCAT
MCAT Scoring and Logistics
Studying for the MCAT
Footstep four: Use and Get Into Medical School
Research Medical Schools
Know the Unlike Types of Medical Schools
Put Together Your Med Schoolhouse Application
Office 1: Primary Awarding
Part 2: Secondary Application
Part 3: Interview
Step v: Nourish Medical Schoolhouse and Pass Your Boards
Years 1-2: Classroom Piece of work
Year three: Rotations
Yr 4: Pursuing Your Specialty
Footstep 6: Complete Your Residency
Step 7: Take and Laissez passer Your Concluding Boards
Summary: The 7 Disquisitional Steps to Becoming a Physician
What's Next?
Francesca graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and scored in the 99th percentile on the SATs. She's worked with many students on Sat prep and college counseling, and loves helping students capitalize on their strengths.
Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-become-a-doctor
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