Alan Faustino is a successful physician working in New Jersey. He
decided he wanted to be an internal medicine specialist, or a physician
when he was involved in a fatal car crash in the Bahamas. He felt
helpless and unable to help the three people that died that night, and
he wanted to help save people if he could. Here are the basic steps to
becoming a physician like Faustino:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree. Most aspiring doctors major in Pre-medical studies, but most medical schools don’t require a certain major for admittance. You can also earn a BA or BS in a major that emphasizes biology, chemistry, and physics to give yourself a better chance of succeeding in medical school once you get there.
- Graduate from medical school. Gaining entrance to a good medical school is difficult and very competitive. You will have to score well on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) to have a chance of admittance. Once there, you’ll be immersed in medical studies. The first two years are usually dedicated to class work and studying, and the last two usually have a more hands-on approach.
- Complete your residency and fellowship. Residency programs are graduate medical education programs that are offered under the supervision of senior physician educators. The length of a residency program is determined by the specialty you’re going into. Internal medicine usually lasts three years. After the residency, you can choose to continue your education even further with a fellowship in a given specialty.
