What happens after medical school? You throw graduation caps in the air, walk in your neighborhood hospital and start earning money right away, right? Wrong! What exactly lies on the other side of the road? Most of the tv series skip the afterward story.
Whether you’ve graduated from an international medical school or a local one you need to prepare yourself for whatever is coming your way.
Surviving Your Residency
So, you have made it this far, you’ve graduated from medical school. Now you are all set to jump into your medical career. Think again. Medical residency looks like a walk in the park. You’ve come a long way, but there’s more responsibility on your shoulders now.
Residency is one of the most important phases of your career. Fourth-year medical students need to realize the importance of residency and training. By the time you finish your medical school you should be ready to practice without supervision and lead your team in taking care of patients.
Residency training is a difficult task, both mentally and physically. But once you’re done with it, you will feel confident in your abilities. During the first year of your residency, you will be spending much of your time in various wards, make the most of this period of your life. Bring yourself up to speed with what goes around in different faculties of a hospital. A good all-round experience will help you build a better understanding of what happens in the real world. It will also help you choose your field of specialization.
Fellowships and Board Certification
For many, the road doesn’t end here. Some areas of medicine are pretty complicated. You require additional training after you have completed residency. These trainings are generally called fellowships and can last for one to three years.
For example, if you’re interested in a career in infectious diseases, you need to finish residency in internal medicine (three years) and then complete a two-year fellowship in infectious diseases. If you fancy becoming a trauma surgeon, you would need to complete a general surgery residency first (five years) before going on to a trauma surgery fellowship (one to two years).
If you are willing for board certification that is different from residency. There are broad certifications for both DOs and MDs, and most – if not all specializations. Physicians need to take this training from time to time to stay up up-to-date with the latest treatment methodologies & cures that are being discovered.
After Graduating Windsor University School of Medicine
Keep this in mind when planning your medical career: your dream job may have you in for the long haul—but only you’ll decide whether it’s worth it or not. These are just some of the tips which can be a beacon for medical students. Planning for fourth year medical school can be a daunting task, use these tips from Windsor University School of Medicine to make the most of your field. Contact us today if you have any questions regarding residencies or fellowships!
