Medical Careers | hbhs-career-center

Medical Doctor Education

Admission to medical school is highly competitive. To be eligible for admission to medical school, students must in general have taken a number of specific courses while in college---see below. Grade point average (GPA), MCAT scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, state of residence, and other achievements each play a significant role in medical school admissions.

To become a doctor in the United States, students generally must graduate from a 4-year college or university before starting in med school.
Alternatively, there are a few programs that combine college and medical school, but admissions is very limited to these programs.
After graduation from a 4-year college or university with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree(no specific major or pre-med program is required), students apply to Medical School to be trained to be a doctor.

MCAT-Medical School Admissions Test

This is a half-day examination that tests knowledge in three areas: Verbal Reasoning (Reading Comprehension), Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics), Biological Sciences (Organic Chemistry and Biology).
In addition, there is a Writing Sample section consisting of two essay questions that tests expository writing . Neither the English section nor the essays require any prior knowledge.

Medical Career Websites

Explore these websites for more detailed information or to explore other careers in the healthcare field

Nursing

Take college prep classes in high school

Individual nursing schools vary in their nursing course prerequisites. Talk to your high school counselor and check out the websites of the California nursing schools you are considering. In addition to a U.S. high school education or the equivalent as described in Section 1412 of the Board's regulations to become a registered nurse (RN), you should take the following classes in high school and you will have a head start on your nursing class prerequisites at college:

English - 4 years
Math - 3-4 years (including algebra and geometry)
Science - 2-4 years (including biology and chemistry; physics and computer science are recommended)
Social Studies - 3-4 years
Foreign Language - 2 years
Check out nursing prerequisites at colleges you are considering.

Choose the type of nursing school you want to attend

In California, there are three types of pre-licensure nursing programs, and two alternative routes to become a registered nurse:

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
- Takes 2-3 years. Offered at many community colleges. Prepares you to provide registered nursing care in numerous settings.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- Takes 4 years. Also referred to as a Baccalaureate degree. Offered at many California State Universities and some private colleges. Prepares you to provide registered nursing care in numerous settings and to move to administrative and leadership positions.
Entry Level Masters Program in Nursing (ELM)
- Designed for adults who have a baccalaureate degree in another field and wish to become registered nurses. Takes 1-2 years depending on how many nursing course prerequisites you have already completed. A graduate receives a master's degree.
LVN 30 Unit Option
- Designed as a career ladder for California Licensed Vocational Nurses wishing to become registered nurses. Takes approximately 18-24 months. No degree is granted upon completion. Most other states do not recognize California's LVN 30 Unit Option and will not issue RN licenses to these LVNs. Some LVNs prefer to complete an ADN program in order to obtain a degree and to have the flexibility to get an RN license in other states. Most ADN programs will give LVNs credit for some of the coursework they completed to become an LVN.
Military Corpsmen
- California law permits military corpsmen to take the national exam for RN licensure if they have completed RN level education and clinical experience.

Select a college and apply for admission

Visit the websites and campuses of the colleges in the geographic areas of interest to you. You can choose from over 140 California nursing schools.
Find out which entry exams are required at the colleges you are considering.
Apply at more than one college to give yourself options. Many colleges have limited space for nursing students.

Obtain an RN license

To practice as an RN in California, you must be licensed by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). You must meet educational requirements, pass a criminal background check, and pass the national licensing examination. To apply for licensure:

Apply online or obtain an application packet and detailed instructions from the BRN website.
Send your application to the BRN at least 6-8 weeks before graduation.
Have your school send your transcripts to the BRN.
Complete a fingerprint background check.

Take and pass the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX)

The exam is computerized and given continuously 6 days a week. (New graduates are advised to take the exam soon after graduation because research has shown that there is a higher success rate for early test-takers compared with those who wait several months.)
Apply for an Interim Permit if you wish to work in a supervised nursing capacity while awaiting the results of your examination.

Websites to Explore Nursing Programs in California

2020 Best Nursing Schools in CA-https://www.registerednursing.org/state/california/

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools in CA-https://nurse.org/articles/best-nursing-schools-california/

The required "pre-med" classes are as follows:

A year of freshman Chemistry along with the appropriate laboratory courses
A year of Organic Chemistry along with laboratory courses
A year of Biology along with laboratory courses
A year of Physics along with laboratory courses
A year of English
A year of Calculus or other advanced Math, including Statistics

Medical school is also 4-years long

The first two years of med school are basically spent attending classes--studying biomedical sciences that underpin the science of medicine.
After the second year in medical school, students take an exam called USMLE Step 1, which covers all basic material that is taught in the first two years of medical school. Passing USMLE Step 1 is a requirement for progression to years 3 and 4.
The last two years of medical school are spent both taking classes and on rotations in hospitals, where students learn medicine by doing it and from observation of other doctors.
Somewhere at this point one must pass USMLE Step 2, which covers clinical knowledge. Successful performance on USMLE Step 2 is required in order for one to be board certified and to be able to practice the art and science of medicine.
After four years at medical school, students graduate with an MD in medicine but still cannot practice medicine. They must then spend anywhere from 2 to 8 years more in residency, depending on medical specialty.
If they want to be a generalist physician/family physician/primary-care physician they will then need to spend 2-3 years after medical school in an "apprenticeship"which is known as residency.
If a student wants to specialize in some area of medicine, for example: be a surgeon, urologist, cardiologist or oncologist, the residency will be longer, anywhere from 3-8 years depending on the medical specialty chosen.
During the residency, students must pass USMLE Step 3 in order to be state-certified for practice of medicine. USMLE Step 3 covers clinical thinking and clinical management

Websites to Explore Medical Programs in California

Medical Careers

So You Want to Go to Medical School? 5 Think-Ahead Tips for High Schoolers

Interview — better yet shadow — doctors in different medical specialties in which you think you might be interested
Apply for a research or experiential internship program for high school students
Volunteer at a local hospital or a health clinic, especially one that serves low-income patients
Create your own health-related project
Attend a summer program for high school students interested in medicine

Now Hiring: Student Tutors

Now Hiring: Student Tutors