Ask any ten elementary school students what they want to be when they grow up and you’ll likely get at least one response of, “I want to be a doctor!”  However, very few elementary school students are aware of how challenging a career path medicine can be.  If you’ve recently completed your undergraduate degree – even if it’s specifically in a pre-med program – you’ll still need to familiarize yourself with the difficulties you’ll face while attending medical school.

Applying to Medical School

The process of applying to medical school is different than what you’ll go through applying to most graduate programs.  Instead of taking the GRE, you’ll take the MCAT standardized exam which tests your mastery of the hard sciences, in addition to your critical thinking and writing skills.  And because of the competitiveness of top medical schools, your score on the MCAT does more than just give admissions officers an idea of your academic abilities.  If you don’t score within a particular range, you may not even be considered at some institutions.

You’ll also find that a greater focus is placed on your undergraduate transcript when you apply to medical school than would be in any other field.  Top medical schools expect their applicants to have followed a pre-med program with a heavy emphasis on the physical and biological sciences.  Even if your school doesn’t offer a formal pre-med program, your academic advisors should be able to help you devise a plan that includes the science courses that medical schools will be looking for.

What to Expect

Medical school programs typically last four years, the first two of which consist of classroom education in common diseases and diagnoses.  You’ll study harder than you ever have before as you attempt to process the thousands of different symptoms you’ll be expected to recognize as a working doctor.  You’ll also need to familiarize yourself with the most commonly used medications and the standard treatment programs for most illnesses and injuries.

After your first two years, you’ll move into another two years of clinical rotations that take you through the different specialties available in a hospital setting.  For example, you may spend a few months working in an OB-GYN ward, before shifting to trauma medicine and then on to oncology.  These rotations are designed to give you on-the-job experience that will help you decide which specialty to pursue, but be warned – you’ll be working longer hours than ever while you try to keep up with your continuing education.

The Next Stages

Once you complete your medical school program, you’ll move on to an internship and residency in your chosen specialty that will give you the complete training you need to work in the field.  In these post-graduate years, you’ll also be expected to take a greater hand in patient care.  As an intern, you’ll be assigned to specific patients for whom you may administer medication and complete basic medical procedures.  In addition, you’ll be expected to complete charts and paperwork related to admissions and discharges.

As a resident, you’ll be given a greater level of autonomy in patient care.  Although you’ll still be under the supervision of an attending physician, you may be responsible for deciding the course of a patient’s care and performing more complex procedures.  Depending on your specialty, you’ll spend anywhere from 2-9 years as a resident.  Upon completion of your residency, you’ll need to pass a board certification exam in order to begin practicing as a licensed doctor.