How Many Years Does It Take To Become A Doctor?

If you are someone who is interested in a career in medicine, you will know that these jobs often require many years of education. If being a doctor is something you want to pursue, you might be wondering how many years it actually takes to get there. As a current medical assistant and registered orthopedic tech, Usher Khan is an aspiring physician. Today he shares how long it takes to become a doctor. 

Overall, it can take between ten and fourteen years for you to become a fully qualified doctor. This is due to the length of time you spend in school and your residency program. Depending on your specialty, the residency can last a lot longer.

Before you go to medical school, you need to first get your four-year undergraduate degree. Once that is done, you have to take your MCAT, or Medical College Admission Test in order to get into medical school, which lasts for four years. People often take the exam a year before they are looking to begin medical school. During medical school, you will do a mix of classroom, lab, and clinical learning. 

Many people then start their residency program during their last year of medical school. A residency can take anywhere between three to eight years to finish, depending on what field of medicine you want to specialize in. After residency, some people also choose to do a fellowship, which takes a few extra years. 

You also need to obtain your medical license in whatever state you are working in, which you can apply for after the first year of your residency. You will need to do a lot of studying to pass this! Once it’s done, you are officially a doctor.