Medical Careers--Medical Doctor
Using your Psychology degree to become a Medical Doctor
A number of students who earn a Psychology degree decide that they want to become a Medical Doctor. Luckily, this is not a problem, as we will discuss below. Remember, a medical doctor is a qualified practitioner of medicine. Thus, he or she is concerned with researching, diagnosing, and treating diseases and other physical and mental impairments. Another important thing to keep in mind is that some Medical Doctors chose not to see patients, but only want a research career.
As far as medical school, there is an interesting decision you may have to make. If you want to be a medical doctor, it is likely that you will go to a medical school and earn your MD degree. However, you may want to consider going to an oesteopathic school and earn a Docor of Oesteopathic Medicine degree (DO). A DO is a physician able to practice in all areas of medicine. They emphasize a whole-person approach to dealing with patients. In this way they focus on a great deal on preventive medicine. In addition, DOs receive special training in the musculoskeletal system.
Whichever medical school you choose, it usually takes 4 years to graduate (2 years classroom training in medicine and 2 years clinical training). The tuition for this degree tuition is paid by you. After graduation from medical/oestheopathic school, you must obtain licensure from a state Board of Medicine to practice in the profession. Prospective doctors must then complete a 3-7 year residency program before their training is finished.
Salary Information
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average yearly income for a Medical Doctor at $198,000.
Click here to read important steps to a Medical Career with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
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Click on the links below to read about other Medical careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:
Medical Careers--Government Worker
Medical Careers--Medical Lab Technician
Medical Careers--Mental Health Technician
Medical Careers--Pharmaceutical Sales
Medical Careers--Medical Scribe
Click on the links below to read about other Medical careers that require a professional degree:
Medical Careers--Physician Assistant