There is a crisis with a shortage of healthcare workforce and doctors around the globe, and the United States is not left behind. But how do you get there? Read on to find out.
The Path To Becoming A Doctor
Some would say being a doctor is tricky, but we’d argue the path to becoming one is worse.
It begins with a bachelor’s degree, including biology, chemistry, and physics. We’ve dumbed that down. Most wannabe physicians pursue a pre med or biology degree.
Then it’s the application to medical school, a 4-year program. There’s the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) – a standardized test of natural, behavioral, and social sciences – that the applicant must pass before joining the court. Two years are dedicated to classroom activities, and two are on clinical rotations where students practice in different medical fields.
Then there’s more – the residency program. This period can be three to seven years, depending on the medical specialty. After all that, the learning never really stops. By now, students are beginning to explore whether to work in hospitals, abroad, in private clinics or through recruitment agencies like MASC Medical – mascmedical.com.
Educational Costs
The cost will make your eyes water. On average, about $200,000 in loans is owed by a medical student by graduation. The medical school tuition, for example, varies between $30,000 and $50,000 per year, and some schools can charge more than $60k. It’s in addition to the cost of undergraduate education, which all adds up to lots of debt. But we will say out of all the college degrees that accumulate debt, the wage of being a doctor makes it easier to pay off.
There are ways to finance education through meritorious scholarships, grants, and federal student loans. Still, most of the money accumulated during studies is owed back – it’s a big issue in the US that Biden’s party did attempt to tackle, but there’s opposition to spending so much money on that.
Job Prospects
The job prospects are where the money starts to come back. Doctors do earn a good wage in the US – on average, $229,300.
The job prospects are where the money starts to come back. Doctors do earn a good wage in the US – on average, $229,300. Unlike some careers, finding a job as a doctor once you have the degree and training isn’t hard. The paper by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) states that in America, there will be a shortfall of more than 124,000 physicians by 2024.
Physicians in family medicine, internal medicine, and psychiatry are even more highly sought after and better paid. Positions include working in hospitals, and private clinics, as a locum tenens, and in telehealth.
Academic medicine, research, and health policy practice are other career options for physicians who didn’t like hospital work during training.
Salaries differ depending on the specialty and region in the US – if a doctor opts to specialize, they can earn, on average, $350,298.
The US needs more doctors – could you be next? Yes, the process is long, but the reward is worth it. It’s one of the highest-paying jobs in the US without being a CEO. And we promise you, being a CEO is no easier than being a doctor. So, are you ready to do it?
