It goes without saying that an aspiring doctor will first have to go to medical school. This refers to any kind of educational facility that offers recognized training courses in medical science. The object in attending them is to obtain the qualification and certification necessary to practice a medical profession.

In America, an aspiring doctor must undergo a four-year training and qualifying period at a recognized medical school. For medical students, medical school follows the obtaining of a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree.

Medical schools are meant to be finishing schools that fine-tune prior medical knowledge and train the student in the medical profession. Those who do not intend to go further than general practice and are content with being primary care physicians will still have to spend at least two to three years in medical school. The period can extend to eight years for those who wish to specialize in a more lucrative branch of the medical profession.

It is not easy to obtain admission to a reputable medical school, and the specifically designed Medical School Admissions Test (MCAT) acts as the primary weeding-out instrument. It is necessary to target and prepare for medical school from the earliest years of college, since admission criteria call for a variety of training modules.

Once admission has been obtained, two years of academic instruction are followed by the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1. This examination establishes whether the student has assimilated academic instructions appropriately. If passed, the student is assigned to an actual medical establishment for a two-year period of observation. Clinical competence is verified by the USMLE Step 2 examination.