Everyone knows that one cannot be a doctor in Sparks overnight, not even in the average four-year college education.  It is common knowledge that to be a doctor entails years and years of hard work and studying. It is therefore fortunate for mankind that despite this grueling process, a lot of individuals are still taking the path of Sparks doctors. The following is the way to an M.D. as declared by the American Medical Association (AMA).

The first step is undergraduate education.  One must earn a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts Degree at a college or university, concentrating on basic sciences like physics, chemistry, and biology.

Next is undergraduate medical education or medical school.  The Liaison Committee on Medical Education  (LCME) has a list of accredited medical schools in the United States.  Here is where the students obtain their degrees for doctor of medicine (MDs).  However, they must experience additional training before they can have their own medical practice.

Third major step on the path of doctors is the residency program, also known as the graduate medical education (GME).  The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), a private, non-profit organization, provides the appropriate appointments for the students. This is referred to as the national matching program.  This involves three to seven years or more of professional training under the tutelage of senior physicians. The length of the residency depends on the specialization chosen by the student.  According to AMA – family practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics require three years of training; general surgery calls for five years.

Fellowship is next for doctors in Spark who wish to become highly specialized in specific fields. This imposes another one to three years of training.  AMA cites as examples – gastroenterology, a subspecialty of internal medicine and pediatrics; or child and adolescent psychiatry, a subspecialty of psychiatry.

After all the necessary education, the doctor must procure a license to practice medicine in the area of the US where he is going to set up his practice. A permanent license can be obtained after undergoing a minimum number of graduate medical education (GME) years, and a series of exams.

Though it is optional, a great number of doctors aim to be board-certified, because this is the ultimate proof that they are highly qualified to practice their chosen specialization.  Their chosen field of specialty also determines when they would need to renew their certifications.

A physician’s learning, however, does not end after his residency and fellowship.  AMA states that Sparks doctors continue to receive credits for continuing medical education (CME), so that their knowledge is updated and remains current. Science and technology, after all, are so fast-paced and advanced that procedures and equipment, which would have seemed impossible and unimaginable decades ago, are being used in our hospitals and institutions today.

The path to an M.D. is surely an arduous one. An aspiring doctor would first of all, need to be naturally adept at math and science subjects. He has to be a critical and quick thinker, able to analyze and process data as he studies it. He must also have a passion for people; the medical profession after all is all about saving people’s lives.

-The steps to becoming an M.D. was adapted from the American Medical Association website.