As of 2024, the Federation of State Medical Boards counted 1,082,187 actively licensed physicians in the United States. The country’s population reached about 341.8 million in 2025, and the AAMC’s latest physician workforce projection says the United States could face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. Before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, physician supply, retirement, population growth, and an aging population have remained important workforce concerns.
Clinician burnout also remains a major issue. In the AMA’s 2025 physician comparison report, 41.9% of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout, down from 43.2% in 2024 and 48.2% in 2023. Medical school interest remains strong: AAMC data show that 54,699 people applied to U.S. medical schools in 2025, a 5.3% increase from 2024, and total enrollment at U.S. MD-granting medical schools reached an all-time high of 100,723 students. Osteopathic medical education is also growing; AACOM reported 40,905 total DO-student enrollment in 2025–26.
Joining the ranks of professional doctors is a long and demanding journey, but with enough determination and a thorough plan, you, too, can become a doctor of the next generation. This article will walk you through a step-by-step guide to becoming a professional doctor in the United States.
How to Become a Doctor in the USA
Step 1. Complete Your Undergraduate Education
The first step to becoming a doctor in the United States is usually completing a bachelor’s degree or equivalent prerequisite undergraduate coursework before medical school. The traditional path includes about four years of undergraduate study, about four years of medical school, and three to seven years of residency training, depending on your specialty.
Medical schools do not require applicants to choose a science major. You can major in any field, but you must complete each medical school’s prerequisite coursework. Common required or recommended courses include biology, general and organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, statistics or calculus, English or writing, psychology, and sociology. Requirements vary by school, so check each program’s admissions page or the AAMC Medical School Admission Requirements reports.
Step 2. Review and Pass the MCAT
Medical schools in the United States use the Medical College Admission Test to assess applicants’ knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social sciences, as well as their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The Association of American Medical Colleges, or AAMC, has a calendar showing MCAT test dates, registration deadlines, and score release dates.
You may attempt the MCAT no more than three times in one testing year, four times across two consecutive years, and seven times in your lifetime. Because the MCAT is a comprehensive exam, it is best to prepare consistently over time instead of relying on last-minute studying. A strong MCAT score can help your medical school application, so give yourself enough time to review and practice.
Step 3. Apply for Medical Schools
Yes, you read that right — schools. Aside from your undergraduate transcript and MCAT score, another step to becoming a doctor in the U.S. is applying to medical school. Because admissions can be highly competitive, it is wise to research multiple schools that fit your academic profile, interests, finances, and career goals.
While there is no rush to enroll, it is best to make a list of the medical schools you want to apply to. Some well-known medical schools in the United States include Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Chicago. Moreover, whenever you are ready to send in your applications, be careful when filling out the American Medical College Application Service, or AMCAS. AMCAS is a centralized application processing service used by most U.S. medical schools; you submit one online AMCAS application for participating schools, while individual medical schools make their own admissions decisions.
Some medical schools may also assess your interpersonal and communication skills through interviews. These interviews can help schools evaluate qualities such as empathy, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, and professionalism. If you want to specialize in research, a research-oriented school may bring you one step closer to the laboratory. Primary care specialists, on the other hand, deal with hands-on patient care and treatment.
Step 4. Pass the First Two Parts of the National Licensing Examinations
Whether you choose to become a medical doctor with an M.D. degree or a doctor of osteopathic medicine with a D.O. degree, you will have to pass national licensing examinations. M.D. students typically take the United States Medical Licensing Examination, or USMLE. D.O. students take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States, or COMLEX-USA, for osteopathic licensure and may also choose to take the USMLE.
The USMLE sequence includes Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge, and Step 3. Step 1 assesses foundational science knowledge, while Step 2 Clinical Knowledge assesses medical knowledge and clinical science needed for supervised patient care. For D.O. students, COMLEX-USA Level 1 is typically taken during the second year of medical school, Level 2-CE during the third or fourth year, and Level 3 during residency.
Step 5. Enroll in a Residency Program
When students reach their third and fourth years of medical school, they begin clinical rotations and explore specialty options they are passionate about, such as anesthesiology, ophthalmology, surgery, or primary care. Applying for a residency program is another essential step to becoming a doctor in the United States. Most applicants use the Electronic Residency Application Service for applications and participate in the National Resident Matching Program, or NRMP, which uses applicants’ and programs’ rank-order lists to make residency matches after interviews.
Highly competitive specialties, such as neurological surgery, dermatology, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, and otolaryngology, may require especially careful planning. Some specialties also use separate or early match processes; for example, ophthalmology uses the SF Match, while neurological surgery participates in the NRMP Main Residency Match.
Step 6. Complete Medical School and Begin Your Residency
As soon as you earn your medical degree, you are a doctor. Congratulations! However, you still need supervised graduate medical training before independent practice. Residency typically runs for three to seven years in the United States, depending on the specialty. Before you can practice independently, you must complete the required residency training and meet state licensure requirements.
Step 7. Pass the Final Part of the National Licensing Exams
During residency, you can focus on passing the final part of the national licensing examination. For USMLE, Step 3 is the final exam in the sequence and assesses whether you can apply medical knowledge and clinical science to practice medicine without supervision. To take Step 3, applicants must pass Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and hold an M.D. or D.O. degree; USMLE recommends taking Step 3 after, or near the completion of, at least one postgraduate training year. D.O. graduates usually take COMLEX-USA Level 3 during residency.
Medical students usually explore core clinical fields during third-year rotations, including pediatrics, surgery, emergency medicine, neurology, radiology, primary care, and other areas. These rotations can help you decide which specialty to pursue in residency.
Step 8. Earn a General Medical License
In the United States, an unrestricted medical license is one of the minimum requirements for independent medical practice, and exact requirements vary by state. In general, physician licensure requires graduation from medical school, postgraduate training, and passage of national licensing examinations. Licensure is mandatory for independent practice, while board certification is voluntary.
Step 9. Work Towards Tour Board Certifications
Unlike medical licensure, board certification is voluntary. Board certification is specific to the specialty or subspecialty you practice, and each certifying board sets its own requirements. Generally, initial board certification requires completion of accredited training and passing a board-certification exam; some boards also require oral examinations.
The American Board of Medical Specialties works with 24 certifying boards. Upon meeting a board’s requirements, you may be recognized as a diplomate of that certifying board.
Pursuing a medical career is about more than the money and prestige it may bring, as you will have to dedicate years of hard work to studying and improving your chosen medical specialty. Physician shortages, demanding work hours, and burnout remain real challenges in the medical field. However, few careers are more rewarding than helping people feel better and earning their trust with their health.
We hope this article on the steps to become a doctor in the USA was helpful. To learn more about studying abroad, specifically in the United States, feel free to check out our Study in the USA Page and the Available Courses for International Students!
