Becoming a Primary Care Physician

This physician takes care of their patients main health problems. They also have their main medical records that include their medical history. If there is something going on with their patients that require a specialist, they will be the one to refer them. 

They are the one that makes initial diagnoses and provides direct care to their patients who have a variety of ailments. To become a primary care physician they must have graduated from medical school and have their license but it is a long road to get to this point. It can take eleven to fifteen years of college, along with supervised work and practical training.

If you know that you want to become a primary care physician you need to start in high school preparing for college by taking all the math and science classes you can take. 

These include chemistry, biology, nutrition, anatomy, and physiology, algebra and geometry but the science classes are the most important. In your senior year of high school, you should start to apply to undergraduate universities. You should concentrate on applying to colleges that have a strong program in premedical.

Once you are enrolled in an undergraduate program that consists of four years you should also take as many courses related to human physiology and health. To gain some experience and improve your resume you could find some volunteer or paid work at a hospital or physician's office. 

These four years of college will lead to a bachelor's degree. Near the end of the third year, you should start looking for a medical school to attend. You will also take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) because it can be a challenge to get into a medical school that is accredited. In some cases, more people want to be a primary care physician than there are open spots at some accredited medical schools.

To ensure that you have a good change on being selected by the medical college you want you should have a good GPA, strong education records showing that you have taken all available science classes even in high school, letters of recommendation, 

MCAT score that is high, and clinical experience. You should apply to more than one medical college to give you more chances to be accepted into at least one of them. 

Once you are accepted into medical school this will comprise of another four years of practical and extensive classroom training. You will have hands-on training in clinical and laboratories.

Once you receive your Doctor of Medicine (MD), you will start an internship at a hospital and for twelve months, and then a two to six year residency where you will practice under the supervision and guidance of trained physicians.