Even though you must attend medical school in all countries to become a doctor, the length and difficulty of these programs vary from country to country. For example, the United States and Canada require medical students to finish their undergraduate degrees before attending medical school. This means they must go to school for eight or more years. In many other countries, going to medical school is the same as going to college; it only takes five or six years to finish.
India's medical school program is one of the shortest in the world. A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree usually only takes four and a half years to earn at the undergraduate level. Even though medical school programs in India are shorter than those in many other countries, they are still competitive, and those who earn an MBBS still have to do an internship that lasts at least six months.
In many African, Asian, and South American countries, you must go to college for five or six years and do an internship or residency before becoming a doctor. Kenya and China, for example, both have five-year programs, but graduates have to do an internship for a year. The medical program in Bolivia is also five years long, but students must also do 15 months of internships and a residency after graduation.
Some African, Asian, and South American countries have five-year medical school programs with few internship or residency requirements. However, most programs are six years long and/or require several years of internships and residencies combined. South Africa's program usually takes six years but can be shortened to five. However, graduates must also do two years of internship and one year of community service. In the same way, Sri Lanka has a five-year program, but graduates have to live in the country for a year and train abroad for a year or two. You must go to college for six years before becoming a doctor in Nigeria, Thailand, Japan, and Nigeria.
In Europe and Australia, medical school programs are the same: students must finish six years of college and an internship. Germany is the only country where you have to finish a five-year program.
The United States and Canada are the most challenging places to become a doctor. This is because both countries require you to get an undergraduate degree first. Most undergraduate degrees take four years, and medical school takes another four. However, some US schools offer a shortened seven-year program that combines the student's fourth year of undergrad with the first year of medical school. There is also a "4+4" program for becoming a doctor in the Philippines, and South Korea recently switched from a six-year undergraduate program to a similar program.
Most countries need to make it easier for students to become doctors in one country and work in another. For example, Thai citizens are the only ones who can take part in the six-year undergraduate program. In the same way, the US makes graduates of programs outside of the US study in the US before they can practice there.
There is no easy way to get into medical school. Whether you attend college in the United States, India, or another country, the programs are all competitive and require you to get good grades, fill out a tough application, and do much more to get accepted. Still, some colleges have a higher rate of acceptance than others.
With a 20% acceptance rate, the Kansas City School of Medicine is one of the most popular programs in the country. Students who want to get into the program need at least a 3.0 GPA and a 500 MCAT score. Even though these are the minimums, the average student who gets in has a GPA of 3.56 and a score of 505 on the MCAT. The tuition for non-resident students is higher than at other medical schools, but less than 700 students are in the program.
The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences has an acceptance rate of about 28%. It has eight different healthcare programs and is the only MD program in the state that takes four years. In their second year, students in the program can start training at clinical sites all over the state. The program also guarantees a certain percentage of its acceptance rate to American Indian students. No minimum score on the MCAT is needed, but students must have a GPA of at least 3.0. The average score on the MCAT was 507. Students who want to go to college must show letters of recommendation and a portfolio of their skills and experiences.
If you want to become a doctor, how long will it take you to complete your education?
How long it takes to become a doctor differs from person to person. You have to think about many things, like where you want to go to medical school and whether you want to be a general practitioner or a specialist in something like heart needs or surgery needs.
In the United States, you must first get a bachelor's degree, which takes four years. After your undergraduate degree, you spend four years in medical school. After you finish your program, you must work as a resident doctor in the United States or Canada for up to seven years, depending on what sort of doctor you desire to be. The last step is to take a test to get a license. In the United States, becoming a doctor takes between 10 and 14 years.
To sweeten your circumstances of getting into medical school, you can add some experience to your resume and portfolio. There are many ways to do this, but volunteering and participating in research projects are two of the best. If you want to make a career out of medical research, an undergraduate research project will greatly help you. Volunteering at low-income clinics or other medical facilities shows that you are serious, care about your community, and want to give back to it.
At your entrance interviews, you'll need both experience and a strong reason for why you want to be a doctor. Your answer should be clear, convincing, and more than "I want to help people." You might have to write an essay, so make sure it's original, honest, and gets to the heart of why you want to be a doctor.
