Road to Riches

Automatically one of the first things anyone pairs with becoming a doctor is the grueling process of med school that comes before it, and all of what that entails. While the average four year college student could land himself a career as early as around age 22 or 23, a doctor may not until around age 30... This is because of all the preparation required before one is to operate on people and attempt to rid of them of disease and wounds.

The first step, after high school, is attending a four year college and picking a field to pursue as a Major. Now, this could be anything. Anything from subjects like Biology and Chemistry, all the way to something like World Religions or Studio Art. So long as he or she takes the MCAT (Medical College Administration Test), and takes it's prerequisite courses, a package usually called "pre-med." Taken from About.com, here is a general list of the courses needed for Pre-med.

• 2 years of biology
• 1 year of physics
• 1 year of English
• 2 years of chemistry
• 1 year of calculus

Of course, depending on other variables (AP coursework, major, etc) some of these courses could be crossed off the list or at least not require the amount of time currently listed.

So, after those four years, completing my Major coursework, passing the MCAT, the next step is Medical School itself. Again, this is almost always a four year program, this is where a student begins taking more field-specific coursework. Different courses include: neurology, radiology, biochemistry, pathology, etc. Medical school is also designed to give med students their first experience in a hospital environment.

After completing those four years, one has earned him or herself the title Doctor of Medicine, or M.D. At this point, they are what's usually called a general pediatrician. If say you want to specialize into a particular type of doctor (cardiologist, anesthesiologist, etc), you enter into a period of residency, or supervised medical training. This can last anywhere from one year to seven. From what I've read, this is the most grueling part of the entire thing. It is not uncommon for medical residents to work eighty hour work weeks making just above minimum wage... there have been recorded instances of straight 30 hour shifts, and things of that nature. Upon completion of residency, the student is hired into a hospital and is now officially a doctor as we know it.