Doctors: Specialties and Training

• Doctors: Specialties and Training - Introduction
• Medical School Training
• Residency Training
• Fellowship Training
• Continuing Medical Education
• Specialty Board Certification
• For More Information
• Synonyms and Keywords
• References
• Authors and Editors

Doctors: Specialties and Training - Introduction

Becoming a fully trained physician is a long and arduous task. It usually begins with the completion of 4 years of college followed by 4 years of medical school. This is followed by residency and sometimes fellowship training in a particular specialty (and sometimes a subspecialty) that may last as long as 10 years. Once the initial training is completed, a doctor continues the task of lifelong learning to maintain the skills necessary to practice medicine.

Although the training to become a physician is long and demanding, the reward of being able to help people and have an intellectually stimulating career is something that most physicians feel is more than worth the effort.