How to Become a Doctor

Interest in how to become a doctor continues to grow.

Total enrollment in medical school topped 100,000 for the first time in 2025 – but getting there takes more than ambition.

To care for others, you need a comprehensive plan.

This guide serves as your roadmap, breaking the journey into clear, actionable steps so you can confidently navigate your future in medicine.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Doctor?

Before outlining how to become a doctor, you should know it takes at least a decade of education. Medical students spend 11-15 years in school and training before practicing independently. That timeline typically encompasses:

Undergraduate education: Four years
Medical school: Four years
Residency: Three to seven years, depending on specialty
Optional fellowship: One to three years

Many find the time commitment to be worth it. A career in medicine offers:

Personal fulfillment and purpose
High income potential
Job stability
Diverse career opportunities

Step by Step: How to Become a Doctor

Once you decide to pursue the profession, here’s how you will spend your educational years:

Earn a bachelor’s degree

Pick a field-relevant major, such as:
- Biology
- Physical science
- Biochemistry
- Psychology
- Public health
These degrees help you complete the courses medical schools require for admission.

You can also earn prerequisites through Portage Learning. The accredited institution offers online college courses that can be finished on a self-directed schedule, including:
Tuition is significantly less than the average four-year public university charges in-state residents and includes all text and video materials needed.

Participating in healthcare-focused extracurriculars, such as volunteering at a hospital, shadowing a doctor, or working in a research lab, will help too. This will highlight your commitment to medical school admissions teams and ensure a career in medicine suits you.

Take the MCAT

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) assesses your knowledge of concepts and principles needed to study medicine. Medical schools require it for admission.

You take the MCAT one year before you would like to enroll. For those who want to attend soon after graduating, that would be your junior year.

Most students spend three to six months preparing for the standardized, multiple-choice exam.

Scores range from 472 to 528:
- 515-528: Represents the top 10 percent of test takers and almost guarantees admission into the best programs.
- 509-514: Strong results considered competitive for a wide range of medical schools.
- 501-508: Above average but less likely to get you into top-tier programs.
- 500 or below: Admission will be limited with scores that fall at or beneath the 50th percentile.

Apply to medical school and complete four years

Getting into medical school can be broken into three phases:
- Primary application: The first portion submitted. Usually sent by June the year before your program’s start date.
  
  It includes your official transcripts, a personal statement, your resume/CV, and your MCAT scores.
  
  Most medical schools use a service that allows you to turn in one primary application. For students who would like to earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD), it’s the American Medical College Application Service or the American Association of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service for those who want to pursue a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
- Secondary application: By mid to late summer, a program will either reject or send you to the next round.
  
  This phase differs for each medical school. Some will ask you to pay a fee. Others want you to write a program-specific essay.
- Medical school interview: The final step. Admissions officers use this to evaluate your interpersonal skills and motivation for medicine.
  
  You often speak with a panel that includes professors and, at times, a current student.
  
  Experts advise you to learn about the program, review your application, and practice answers to prepare for the make-or-break opportunity.
Once an accredited medical school accepts you, lock in.

The first two years build your foundation, with classroom and lab learning. You then gain experience providing patient care during clinical rotations. In your final year, you take elective courses for your preferred specialty and apply to residency programs.

Pass the USMLE exams

While in medical school, you will take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). It consists of three separate tests.
- Step 1: Taken before you begin clinical rotations. Evaluates the basic sciences taught during the first half of your program.
- Step 2: Tests more advanced knowledge, usually during year four.
- Step 3: Generally completed during or after the first year of residency. Assesses your ability to care for patients on your own.

Match into a residency program

Residency trains you to practice independently in the specialty of your interest under the guidance of experienced doctors.

Programs last at least three years, but highly skilled areas, such as neurosurgery, take up to seven to finish. Other specialties you can focus on include:
- Dermatology
- Pediatrics
- General surgery
- Internal medicine
- Psychiatry
- And more
You will work a lot – between 60-80 hours per week – and get paid. According to Medscape’s 2025 Resident Salary and Debt Report, first year residents earned $68,000. Those further into their program brought home around $79,000 annually.

Obtain a license to practice

When you pass the final USMLE, you will be eligible for a general medical license. Requirements depend on where you live but generally entail:
- Applying to the state’s licensing board
- Submitting documents that verify your education and training
- Completing a background check and disclosing any information that may impact your ability to care for patients
Once you receive a license, congratulations! You made it through more than a decade of hard work and can now help ill and injured people heal.

Consider fellowship or board certification

To further your education, you could complete a fellowship.

The optional, post-residency program deepens your expertise in a subspecialty. For example, an internal medicine doctor could become a gastroenterologist or a pulmonologist.

You could also obtain board certification. Passing the rigorous exam shows your expertise beyond basic licensure.

(Ready to become a doctor? Complete medical school prerequisites with Portage Learning. Credits earned from our courses transfer to more than 2,800 colleges and universities nationwide.)

Still looking for answers?

Check out the FAQs about this article below.

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a doctor?

Medical students spend 11-15 years in school and training before being able to train independently. This includes undergraduate education, medical school, residency, and an optional fellowship.

What is the MCAT?

The MCAT stands for the Medical College Admission Test. This test assesses your knowledge of concepts and principles needed to study medicine. You take the MCAT one year before you would like to enroll in medical school, and most schools require it for admission.

Do you get paid during your residency program?

Yes, residents get paid during these programs. The average salary for residency programs ranges from $68,000 to $79,000 annually. Residents typically work 60-80 hours per week.

Can I take the prerequisite courses needed for medical school online?

Yes! With Portage Learning, you can take online, self-directed prerequisites needed for admission into medical school. Credits earned from Portage Learning courses transfer to more than 2,800 colleges and universities nationwide.