Medical School Directory
Medical degrees can lead to a broad range of highly rewarding careers.
Careers and Medical Schools: Opportunities Abound
Typically working from either private practices or hospitals, physicians diagnose illnesses and treat patients. Because the human body (as well as its psyche) performs such complex functions, physicians usually specialize in one or two areas of expertise such as general medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychology, or surgery, to name a few. Physicians often work long and irregular hours, but the fruits of their labor--both social and monetary--rank among the resplendent of all professions. If you possess strong communication skills, decisiveness, and an aptitude for science, then perhaps your post-secondary education should take place in one of the country's many fine medical schools.
Medical School Curriculum
Physicians must complete four years of graduate studies, followed by several more years of internship and residency. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that admission to medical school is extremely competitive, but add that earning one's bachelor's degree in a related field is not necessary. Employers often value candidates with diverse educational backgrounds.
The first two years of medical school include courses such as: biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, medical ethics, anatomy and physiology.
Instruction takes place in classrooms as well as laboratories. The final two years involve supervised work in hospitals and clinical settings.
A Wide Range of Medical Specialties
The BLS directory of occupations for MDs and DOs (doctors of osteopathic medicine) lists occupations as numerous and diverse as the different systems of the human body. If becoming a doctor is your dream, give some serious consideration to finding a medical school that suits your needs.
Karin Hansen
Karin Hansen holds a degree in English from San Francisco State University.
Physicians and Surgeons • Bureau of Labor Statistics
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