By becoming a physician, you will have a career with challenge, variety, financial security and choice. You will have the privilege of caring for people — people whose health care needs are attracting increasing attention across the nation.

Physicians are critical to the health and well-being of all Americans. They lead teams and collaborate with other medical professionals to treat patients. They are also integral partners in medical research that can lead to prevention and treatment of diseases and hope for patients suffering from serious illnesses like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Physicians may be trained as generalists, focusing on the overall health of the individual or as specialists concentrating on one region or system of the body. Those wishing to pursue careers in specialties such as surgery, dermatology, oncology, neurology must first complete a Medical Doctor (MD) degree. It takes the typical student four years to complete the pre-requisite courses necessary for admission to medical school. Medical school typically takes four more years resulting in a doctorate. Those wishing to pursue careers in specialties such as surgery, dermatology, oncology, neurology must first complete a Medical Doctor (MD) degree before completing the additional training/residencies/fellowships required for qualification.