EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 July Issue | Page 38

Pathway to Becoming a Doctor
As honourable as becoming a doctor seems to be, it is a
profession which cannot be entered quickly due to its long and
challenging path. Diligence, motivation and preservation are
crucial to ?nish the training as it takes many years of study to
practice independently. The path to being a doctor usually takes a
minimum of 12 years after secondary school, depending on your
specialty. Specialties with extensive training periods can take ?ve
or more years while non-surgical specialties often take less time.
Secondary school is usually the starting point in being a doctor.
Good grades are necessary and science subjects are required for
medical school. Volunteering is also a good idea as it gives you
a chance to help people as well as look good in your CV if you
decided to pursue medicine. Not only should you volunteer at a
hospital, clinic or doctor’s of?ce, you can also volunteer for works
that are not directly medically related such as a soup kitchen or
Habitat for Humanity.
Your Bachelor’s Degree is a good place to prepare for medical
school. Score well in the core subjects such as organic
chemistry, general chemistry, biology, physics, microbiology and
biochemistry as these are the subjects scrutinised critically by the
admissions team at each medical school. During the last year of
school or when you complete the required classes, it is time for

styles and focus during medical school. Osteopathic schools
educate their students to look at the whole patient instead of the
injured or diseased part. Although this was a major difference in
the past, allopathic programme are also embracing the “whole
person” approach now. So, the difference is not as notable now
anymore. However, DO students are educated in Osteopathic
Medical Treatment (OMT) – body manipulation similar to what is
done by chiropractors.
In medical schools, there are four years of education. First two
years will be spent on learning the fundamentals of medical
sciences, taking medical histories and performing a physical
exams as well as learning the principles behind diagnosing
disease. Before progressing to the third year, you will have to take
and pass a test. In third year, you will spend one or two months
in each of the major medical specialties and work with patients
under the supervision of experienced physicians in hospital and
clinics, learning acute, chronic and rehabilitative care as well as
the social skills that give a doctor good bedside manners. Then,
you will determine the specialty you want to pursue before
going to fourth ye ar as you will be spending your fourth year in
electives based on preferred specialty and apply to and interview
at residency programs. You will also have to pass the second test
in your fourth year.

you to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) or UK
Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) and BioMedical Admissions Test
(BMAT). For competitive MCAT score, aim to get a score above
10 (the score ranges from 1 to 15 with 15 being the best score)
in each of the ?rst three sections. A practice test is a good way to
?nd out where your base is and to know how much progress is
needed to get good points.
After obtaining your MCAT scores, you can begin the application
process which requires multiple letters of reference, interviews
with each medical school that decided to consider you and
essays. Your behaviour is also being observed to judge if you are
mature enough to handle medical school, whether you are selfmotivated to complete the programme, whether you can present
yourself in a professional manner and if you are clean and neat.
Being a non-smoker is a plus, or you could quit smoking. Do not
have the odour of smoke during the interview.
The ‘year off’ year, when prospective medical students interview
with the schools to which they have applied, may be a good
time for you to consider a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor
of Osteopathy (DO) programme. They differ in terms of teaching

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EASYUNI Guide 2013

Once your place of residency is determined, residency training
will take place in a hospital setting in which you will also earn
a salary. You will be responsible for patients while supervised
by senior residents as well as attending physicians. A ?nal test
will also have to be taken to be board certi?ed in a specialty.
Residency training can take 3 to 7 years to complete. After
residency, you may consider fellowship training to become even
more specialised within a ?eld. Fellowships typically take one to
three years to complete.