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WHAT TO EXPECT IN MEDICAL SCHOOL: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR FUTURE MED STUDENTS

There are over 140 U.S. medical schools that award the Doctor of Medicine, better known as the MD, to graduates. These schools train students in allopathic medicine, an advanced system which encompasses the use of medications, surgery, and/or therapies to help treat individuals with a variety of conditions and diseases. Allopathic schools train tomorrow's MDs with a common (and rigorous!) core curriculum.

But beyond that core, each medical school offers its own unique academic foci, teaching methods, and research opportunities to students, which means no two medical schools are exactly alike. As such, before entering medical school, it’s crucial for you to have a clear understanding of how long completing medical school will take, and perhaps more importantly, what each specific step of your medical school journey will entail.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE MEDICAL SCHOOL?

Medical school itself takes 4 years to complete, but to become a doctor, you'll also spend 3–7 years in residency.

THE FIRST TWO YEARS

The first two years of medical school are a mixture of classroom and lab time; students take classes in basic sciences, such as anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, and pharmacology. They also learn the basics of interviewing and examining a patient.

Traditionally, students take four or five courses in various disciplines at the same time. However, some schools focus on a single subject for a shorter block of time—say, three or four weeks—then move on to another subject. Other schools take an interdisciplinary approach to pre-clinical coursework, in which each class focuses on a single organ, examining all the anatomy, pharmacology, pathology and behavior relevant to that system. At the end of the second year, you'll take Step 1 of USMLE, a three-step test designed for students of allopathic medicine who are on the path to an MD. Step 1 of USMLE is a one-day, multiple-choice test that emphasizes knowledge of basic sciences, including anatomy, biochemistry, behavioral sciences, microbiology, immunology, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology. Topics such as nutrition, genetics and aging are also covered.

THE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE: YEARS 3 AND 4

Third and fourth-year medical students do rotations at hospitals and clinics affiliated with their school, culminating with taking (and passing) USMLE Step 2. Step 2 is a two-day test with two components. The first, called Clinical Knowledge, or CK, requires you to answer multiple–choice questions on clinical sciences like surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology. The second, called Clinical Skills, or CS, requires you to examine and diagnose actors posing as patients.

Students doing rotations assist residents in a particular specialty such as surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine, or psychiatry. During this time, you'll interact with patients, perform basic medical procedures, and take on any tasks the resident requests you complete for them.

While some rotations, such as Internal Medicine, are required at all programs, others have more unique clerkship requirements. The length of time you spend in a rotation depends on the hospital's focus or strength. At some schools, the surgery rotation is three weeks long; at others, it is three months. The character of the hospital will also color your experience. If the setting is a densely populated metropolis, you can expect increased experience with trauma, emergency medicine, or infectious disease, as well as exposure to a diverse patient population. Clinical rotations will not give you enough expertise to practice in any specialty (that's what a residency is for). They will give you a breadth of knowledge and help you consider potential career paths as a future health professional.

PATIENT CARE VS. RESEARCH

You can train to be a primary care doctor at any medical school. However, programs that emphasize primary care tend to include more patient contact, coursework in patient handling, and longer clinical rotations in general fields. Many are actively involved in the surrounding communities, offering volunteer opportunities in the clinical care of historically underserved populations.

If you're looking to pursue a career in academic medicine or biomedical research, you should look for schools with strong research programs. You will not have the same opportunities, facilities, mentors, or funding at a school focused on training primary care physicians.

COMBINED DEGREES

If you want to complement your MD with advanced coursework in another discipline, some schools—especially those affiliated with a larger university—allow students to register for classes in other departments. Many also offer combined degree programs, such as pairing an MD with a Master of Science, Master of Public Health, or PhD.

AFTER MED SCHOOL

Med students who make it through all four years (and don't worry, most do!) will be the proud owner of an MD. But your education doesn't end there; you will still need to pass the board exam and spend between three and seven years as a resident in a teaching hospital. Once your board exam and residency are complete, you’ll be all set to launch your medical career!

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