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5 Questions to Ask If You Want to Be a Doctor

By U.S. News & World Report

What to Know Before Applying to Medical School

Medicine is one of the hardest professions to join. Prospective medical school students need to make a few critical decisions and endure years of schooling long before becoming doctors.

Here are five questions they should ask medical school admissions experts if they want to don a white coat.

Time

How long does it take to become a doctor?

Time

It takes at least seven years to become a practicing physician. After four years of medical school, new doctors must complete a residency — intense hands-on training in a health care setting — if they wish to practice medicine. Residency can last between three and seven years.

Preparation

When should someone start preparing for medical school applications?

Preparation

Aspiring doctors should start preparing for applications two or three years before they’re ready to apply.

Experts suggest applicants take time to learn about the profession of medicine before applying to medical school. Shadowing a physician or doing health-care-related volunteer work are two ways to learn. Applicants should take several classes during their years as an undergraduate student to prepare for the MCAT and medical school courses.

Classes

What type of classes should undergraduate students take before sitting for the MCAT?

Classes

While the MCAT tests premeds on their understanding of biology, chemistry and other hard sciences, experts say students should beef up their understanding of social sciences.

“For freshmen and sophomores, one semester each of introductory psychology and sociology should be sufficient for the MCAT and will provide students with a focused academic schedule. Learning these sciences in a more formal setting will also instill the necessary rigor and mental stamina a premed student needs to succeed on the MCAT,” physician Anthony Lafond wrote in a blog post for U.S. News

M.D. and D.O.

What is the difference between an M.D. degree from an allopathic school and a D.O. degree from an osteopathic school?

M.D. and D.O.

Both types of physicians attend four years of medical school and then enter a residency.

Allopathic and osteopathic schools offer similar curricula, with a balance of classroom and clinical learning opportunities. D.O.-granting schools, however, teach students osteopathic manipulative medicine that involves the spine, bones and muscles. D.O. doctors. ” The D.O. clinical experience tends to emphasize primary care and occur in community institutions rather than in academic medical centers,” reported Susan Brink for U.S. News. There are more allopathic schools than D.O. schools, but there has been a recent increase in both types of institutions.

Career Options

What else can I do in addition to practicing medicine?

Career Options

Most M.D.s and D.O.s work with patients to provide health care, but some doctors branch out into other jobs.

An M.D.-MBA may focus on how health care is managed or become a hospital administrator. Prospective medical students who are interested in research can apply for M.D.-Ph.D. programs, which prepare students to run research labs at universities or work on new treatments for diseases, for example.

More on Medical Education

Learn more about applying to medical school and get our complete rankings of the 2016 Best Medical Schools.

For more advice and information on how to select a school, connect with U.S. News Education on Twitter and Facebook.

More from U.S. News

Choose the Right Undergraduate Major for Medical School

Find a Postbaccalaureate Premed Program That Fits You

How to Decide Between an M.D. and a D.O.

5 Questions to Ask If You Want to Be a Doctor originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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