I Want to Become a Physician. What Must I Do?

Regardless of where you are, a very respected profession is that of a physician. Unsurprisingly, the ones who can protect us from illness, death, or disease are appreciated by almost every facet of society, with thousands of youths clamoring over medical school positions each year.

If you’re among one of these people, then congratulations: you couldn’t have picked a nobler calling. On the other hand, the road to becoming a doctor is known to be paved with difficulties and doubts, which is why most people aren’t able to complete it.

This article serves to provide a quick yet detailed explanation as to what a physician does together with the requirements of becoming one. Although you’ll soon find that it’s not easy, the truth is that it is a very rewarding job with a lot of opportunities. Just look at all the internal medicine jobs in Atlanta!

What Is a Physician?

In simple terms, a person that has earned a medical Doctorate Degree, which makes them able to diagnose patients, provide care and treatment for illnesses and injuries, or prescribe medication.

When most people think of the word “doctor,” they are actually thinking of a physician. To clarify the confusion, anyone who has earned a Doctorate Degree can call themselves a doctor regardless of field. Therefore, someone with a degree in history could correctly name themselves as being a doctor.

A physician, on the other hand, has earned a degree in the medical field. This opens up a wide window of opportunities for career advancement, though gaining a degree is anything but easy.

The Average Physician’s Journey

The first thing you’ll need if you want to become a physician is a lot of dedication. On average, the journey to becoming a physician will take at least 11 years to complete, after which you will hopefully and eventually be able to start an independent career. Additionally, you will also need money - medical school tends to be very expensive.

A budding physician must first go through college. Four years is the absolute minimum and can potentially be considered the most pleasant time of your education. After college, the difficulty of learning ramps up significantly.

The next problem is medical school. As previously stated, medical school, more often than not, is thoroughly expensive. The average estimated initial payment expected of a US med school student is roughly around $200,000, which is a tremendous sum. A lot struggle to pay off their debts for several years after the end of their training.

Furthermore, being admitted into medical school is also a herculean task in itself. Since becoming a physician is so prestigious and financially sustainable, millions of men and women from across the globe pine to become one, thus giving a whole lot of competition for any budding student.

There’s more - as if that wasn’t enough! After college and the completion of medical school comes your residency, which is a period where you’ll be working underneath an established and experienced physician in order to gain your spurs. It can be said that this period is relatively smooth sailing since it is the “meat” of the process in the eyes of some.

Trying for a Better Future

As has been made clear, becoming a physician isn’t simple, easy, or even straightforward. There is a lot of material to absorb, concepts to understand, and oaths to swear, and even the most devoted and dedicated can falter before reaching the end of their journey. Hopefully, you will prove to be a success story.

The most important thing to remember is that you should never give up. As with any difficult road, it can become very tempting to give up or to forget why you embarked on it in the first place. Although these moments are perfectly natural and should serve to reinforce chasing your dreams, some are instead distracted and misled by them.

Therefore, do not fall prey to your fears and worries. So what if becoming a physician is hard? It’s not like it hasn’t been done before.