I'm thinking about becoming an MD, and am unsure of how long of a haul I would be in for.
2006-07-04 19:06:34 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
3-4 years of college
4 years of medical school
1 year of internship
2 years of residency (at least...depends on a lot of factors)
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10-11 years minimum. you might opt to do a fellowship to specialize a bit so this would tack on some time.
I should also mention something about the most variable statistic I gave above...college. You don't have to have a bachelor's degree to go to medical school. Some med schools will let you in if you complete about 90 hours of coursework and take some required classes. However, you should probably get the bachelor's degree as something to fall back on in case you burn out of med school. The minimum requirement I listed above assumes you go full time for 2 semesters a year. I've seen people take the max work load every semester and get a bachelor's degree in 3 years (going summers, intersession like christmas and spring break). IF you wanted to skip the bachelor's and go straight to med school and IF you wanted to do it in the shortest time possible, then I suppose you could get the bare minimum requirements met in 2 - 2.5 years. But even if you did all this, you'd have to contend with the MCAT which will be hell if you're loaded with coursework. A LOT of people I know that went to med school did their undergrad in 5 years.
oh, and the people above who say 6 years, that's just silliness. Even if you got through college in 2 years and med school in 4, you can't practice medicine with just an M.D. It's not only disallowed by the American Medical Association, it's also illegal. Sure, you are officially a Doctor when you get your M.D., but that doesn't mean squat without the proper training, and no, 4 years of medical school is NOT proper training to practice medicine.
good luck.
2006-07-04 19:19:04 · answer #1 · answered by jibba.jabba 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I'm living with a med student right now, so straight out of high school, you will need to complete:
4 years of undergrad (you can finish faster if you work really hard)
4 years of medical school
1 year internship (where you are the bottom of the totem pole, work insane hours, get paid garbage)
2 years of residency (for a general practitioner - can be 4+ years if you want to do surgery)
You receive your MD at the end of medical school, and after your internship you can prescribe medication. However, you aren't fully accredited (aka qualified) to work in the US until you finish your residency. So it will take you at least 11 years before becoming a qualified, practicing doctor in the US.
Good luck!
2006-07-05 04:11:25 · answer #2 · answered by hobo joe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
10+ years out of high school.
2006-07-05 02:10:21 · answer #3 · answered by Jordan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It usually takes about 8 years of good hard work.... If you are very smart i'd try getting into an accelerated program (Penn State (www.psu.edu) has a good program)
2006-07-05 02:15:22 · answer #4 · answered by Jessica 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
7-8 yrs depending on your grades, tests, and hours taken at school
2006-07-05 02:10:16 · answer #5 · answered by akamoonpie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
6-10 years, depending on how in depth you want your studies to be.
2006-07-05 02:09:58 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it takes around twelve years, not counting your internship.
2006-07-05 02:10:25 · answer #7 · answered by synchronicity915 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
about six years.
2006-07-05 02:14:03 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋