It may all appear very simple – you walk into a doctor’s office, they examine you, run some tests and gives you some medicine to take care of the problem.

Doctors perform several roles – they listen to people’s complaints of ill health, examine them, conduct tests and diagnose why people get sick and then give them the right medicine or treatment to cure or mange ill-health.

However, to be able to do this competently, doctors need to go through an extensive education and training program before they can gain licensure to practice medicine.

How do they do this?

They Study a Lot

Becoming a doctor involves a lot of study that begins with a four-year course that emphasizes basic science study.

Most students choose to study subjects such as physics, chemistry and biology although there may be those who study other subjects as well.

The next part of a doctor’s education is four years of study at a medical school that has accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. This program includes both preclinical and clinical courses that students have to complete to earn a degree as a Doctor of Medicine (MD).

They Get Extensive Training

Just earning the MD degree is not sufficient; doctors need to undergo additional training through a residency program.

This program can take anywhere between three to seven years, depending on the specific area in which the doctor chooses to specialize. For example, in pediatrics, this training is three years, whereas for general surgery, training lasts for five years.

The training is to be completed under the direct supervision of a senior medical professional in the respective area of specialization. 

Some doctors also take up a fellowship to gain expertise in a particular subspecialty under the broad area of specialization. For example, an orthopedic surgeon may opt for a fellowship in the subspecialty of orthopedic sports medicine or a urologist may choose a fellowship in pediatric urology.

The fellowship program can take anywhere between one to three years, depending on the nature of the subspecialty.

They Procure a License

Once they complete the prescribed education and training, doctors apply for a permanent license to practice medicine.

This process requires them to clear a series of examinations after which they file an application in the state where they plan to practice. Once the state confirms that a doctor meets all the specified criteria, it grants him the license for the practice of medicine within that state.

Some doctors also choose to get board certified, although this is not mandatory for the practice of medicine.

These certifications are granted by different medical boards that govern the particular medical specialty. In most cases, the certification needs to be periodically renewed in keeping with the board’s stipulations.

Doctors also do one more thing throughout the time they are studying and training – work very, very hard.

As you may have now come to realize, the education and training of a doctor is an exhaustive process. Throughout this time, they constantly devote themselves to the task, keeping distractions at bay, spending long, agonizing hours through the day and night, always being available for emergencies, often at the expense of their personal time, waiting patiently for the day when they are pronounced as doctors ready to practice medicine.

References

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/becoming-physician.page
http://www.bls.gov/k12/help06.htm
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/05/people-decide-doctors.html
http://www.nrmp.org/