To become a doctor in the United States you need a bachelor's degree, an MD or DO from a medical school, passes in a national licensing examination, a residency won through the Match, and a licence from the state where you practise. The licence comes from a state medical board, never from the degree alone.
EdCitation publishes this guide. Every requirement, date and figure was read at its official source on 27 September 2026. This guide guarantees no admission, residency, licence, post or income. For Britain, read how to become a doctor in the UK; for US nursing, becoming a registered nurse.
From the first year of medical school you will read and cite clinical evidence. EdCitation's free Find sources turns a clinical question into published papers, and Cite a source formats each one from its DOI or PubMed ID.
What are the steps to becoming a doctor in the US?
There are six: college, the MCAT, medical school, the licensing examinations, residency through the Match, and a state licence. The table is our summary.
| Stage | How long, as the source states it | What you need | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | A four-year degree | The premedical courses each school sets | AAMC |
| MCAT | About 7 hours 30 minutes seated | Registration, $355 in 2026 | AAMC |
| Application | Opens in early May; verification can take six to eight weeks at peak | AMCAS for MD schools, AACOMAS for DO schools | AAMC; AACOM |
| Medical school | 4 years | An LCME-accredited MD or a COCA-accredited DO | BLS; FSMB |
| Licensing examinations | Two parts before graduation, the last usually in residency | USMLE or COMLEX-USA | FSMB |
| Residency | 3 to 9 years (BLS); about 3 to 7 (FSMB) | A position won through the Match | BLS; FSMB |
| State licence | At least one year of postgraduate training everywhere; two or three in some states | An application to the state board | FSMB |
| Reading and citing evidence | Every year | A search of the record and references you can check | EdCitation's Find sources and Cite a source, free |
What are the pre-med requirements?
There is no national list: each medical school sets its own. The Association of American Medical Colleges (n.d.-b) says every school requires a four-year degree from an accredited institution, and that students will likely take one year of biology, one year of English and two years of chemistry through organic chemistry. Some accept AP, online or community college credit and some do not, some admit on competencies with no fixed course list, and each sets its own expectations for laboratory, volunteer and shadowing experience.
Pre-med is not a major
No particular undergraduate degree is required for an MD or DO programme, the BLS says, and some schools run combined undergraduate and medical programmes of 6 to 8 years.
Courses the MCAT assumes
The MCAT tests introductory biology, general and organic chemistry and physics, plus first-semester biochemistry, psychology and sociology (Association of American Medical Colleges, n.d.-g).
What is the MCAT, and how is it scored?
The AAMC's MCAT has four multiple-choice sections, taken in this order (Association of American Medical Colleges, n.d.-f):
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems | 59 | 95 minutes |
| Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills | 53 | 90 minutes |
| Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems | 59 | 95 minutes |
| Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior | 59 | 95 minutes |
Each section is scored from 118 to 132, so the total runs from 472 to 528, with a midpoint of 500. Wrong answers count the same as blanks, and scores are scaled and equated, not curved (Association of American Medical Colleges, n.d.-c).
Fees, limits and timing
Registration costs $355 in the 2026 testing year, or $145 with the Fee Assistance Program, plus $130 for testing outside the US, Canada and US territories (Association of American Medical Colleges, n.d.-d). You may attempt the MCAT three times in a testing year, four times over two consecutive years and seven times in a lifetime, and no-shows count (Association of American Medical Colleges, n.d.-e). To start medical school straight after college, the AAMC suggests testing in the junior year.
How do you apply to medical school through AMCAS?
Most MD schools take applications through AMCAS, the AAMC's centralised service: one application for every school. For the 2027 cycle it costs $180 with one school included and $48 for each additional school (Association of American Medical Colleges, n.d.-a). The 2027 applicant guide sets the parts that take longest (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2026):
- Personal comments essay: 5,300 characters including spaces, about one page.
- Work and activities: up to 15 experiences of 700 characters each; up to three marked most meaningful get 1,325 more.
- Letters of evaluation: up to 10.
- Transcripts: checked line by line against what you enter; at peak, verification may take six to eight weeks.
DO schools use AACOMAS, AACOM's own service, whose 2026-27 cycle is open until 30 April 2027 (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, n.d.-a). Each school sets its own deadline.
Those essays are yours alone. EdCitation never writes a word of an application, so every sentence a committee reads is your own. The craft of that essay is in how to write a personal statement.
MD vs DO: what is the difference?
Both lead to the same residencies and a full licence. They differ in accreditation, examinations and training; residency is now shared.
- Accreditation: MD programmes by the LCME, DO programmes by the AOA's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, the Federation of State Medical Boards (n.d.) says.
- Examinations: DO students take COMLEX-USA, which all 50 states accept for licensure, and may also take the USMLE (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, n.d.-b).
- Training: DOs are trained extensively in the neuromusculoskeletal system and osteopathic manipulative treatment (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, n.d.-d).
- Residency: under the single accreditation system agreed in 2014 and in place from 2020, both enter the same accredited programmes.
Where the counts disagree
AACOM counts 48 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine at 75 teaching locations in 36 states, teaching nearly 30 percent of US medical students (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, n.d.-c). The FSMB's undated licensure page lists 37 osteopathic and 155 allopathic schools; AACOM's count carries a date, so use it. In the 2026 Match, US MD seniors matched at 93.5 percent and US DO seniors at 93.2 percent, the highest DO rate on record (National Resident Matching Program, 2026).
What are the USMLE Steps and COMLEX-USA levels?
The USMLE is three Steps, run jointly by the FSMB and the NBME; COMLEX-USA is the NBOME's three levels for osteopathic medicine.
USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3
- Step 1 covers the basic sciences and has been reported pass or fail only for exams taken on or after 26 January 2022 (United States Medical Licensing Examination, n.d.-a). From 14 May 2026 it is fourteen 30-minute blocks in one 8-hour session (United States Medical Licensing Examination, n.d.-b).
- Step 2 CK covers clinical knowledge and keeps a three-digit score, with a minimum pass of 218 since 1 July 2025 (United States Medical Licensing Examination, n.d.-a). From 7 May 2026 it is sixteen 30-minute blocks in one 9-hour session (United States Medical Licensing Examination, n.d.-c).
- Step 3 tests readiness for unsupervised practice over two days: 232 multiple-choice items on the first, and 180 items plus 13 to 14 case simulations on the second (United States Medical Licensing Examination, n.d.-d). Its minimum pass is 200, and most examinees take it within 18 months of starting residency (Federation of State Medical Boards, 2023).
COMLEX-USA levels
Level 1 comes after the second year, Level 2-CE in the clinical years and Level 3 during residency (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, n.d.-b). Level 1 has been reported pass or fail for tests on or after 10 May 2022 (National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, 2022).
How does the residency Match work?
You apply through ERAS, the AAMC's residency application service, rank programmes, and the NRMP's algorithm pairs your list with theirs. For the 2027 Main Residency Match, registration opened on 15 September 2026, ranking opens on 1 February 2027, rank lists must be certified by 3 March, Match Week and the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program for unfilled positions begin on 15 March, and Match Day is 19 March 2027 (National Resident Matching Program, n.d.).
The 2026 Match was the largest yet: 44,344 positions offered, 48,050 applicants who certified a rank list, and 38,354 matched to a first-year position (National Resident Matching Program, 2026). Those figures describe last year, not your chances.
How do you get a medical licence?
You apply to the medical board of the state where you will practise. Every state requires an MD or DO (or an international equivalent), a pass in the USMLE or COMLEX-USA, and at least one year of postgraduate training; some require two or three, and more than a dozen set a point in residency by which the examinations must be passed (Federation of State Medical Boards, n.d.). Licences are usually renewed every one or two years.
Residents usually train on a training licence, which 41 state boards issue (Federation of State Medical Boards, 2023). California shows how exact the rules are. A US or Canadian graduate needs credit for 12 months of approved postgraduate training before a full licence and an international graduate 24, and a licence issued since 1 January 2022 needs 36 months shown at its first renewal unless shown already (Medical Board of California, n.d.). The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact offers a faster route to licences in several states.
What if you studied medicine outside the US?
International medical graduates need ECFMG Certification before an accredited US residency. ECFMG, part of Intealth, requires a school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools with an ECFMG Sponsor Note covering your graduation year, at least four credit years, passes in USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, and a Pathway that includes a satisfactory OET Medicine score (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, 2026).
The 2026 Match was harder for this group: 70 percent of US-citizen IMGs and 56.4 percent of non-US-citizen IMGs matched to a first-year position (National Resident Matching Program, 2026). The FSMB's chart, updated in April 2026, counts 26 states plus DC, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands that may license an IMG without accredited US training, each on its own conditions (Federation of State Medical Boards, 2026).
How long does it take to become a doctor?
At least 11 years after high school: four in college, four in medical school and three or more in residency, on the AAMC's and the BLS's figures. The sources differ on residency. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) says 3 to 9 years, the FSMB about three to seven, and fellowships add 1 to 3. This timeline is our own, built from the dates above:
- College, years one to three: the courses your schools and the MCAT expect, and clinical experience. Start reading research with Find sources.
- Junior year: the MCAT, early in the testing year if a retake is possible.
- Early May before senior year: submit AMCAS or AACOMAS as soon as it opens.
- Senior year: interviews and offers.
- Medical school, year two: Step 1 or Level 1.
- Years three and four: clinical rotations, Step 2 CK or Level 2-CE, and Match registration in the final September.
- March of the final year: Match Day, then graduation.
- Residency: a training licence, Step 3 or Level 3, then a full licence.
What does medical school cost, and what do doctors earn?
For the class of 2025, 70 percent of graduates had education debt, with a median of $215,000 among those who borrowed. In 2025-26 the median first-year tuition and fees for in-state students were $43,648 at public schools and $74,661 at private ones (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2025).
The BLS gives a median annual wage for physicians and surgeons of $275,930 in May 2025, and projects 4 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as average, with about 22,100 openings a year. A median spans every specialty; it is not an offer.
Where does EdCitation fit in medical school?
For medical coursework, EdCitation is the strongest reference tool you can use: each entry is retrieved from the publisher's record, not generated, and a chatbot cannot guarantee that. Nothing in your work or your application is written by EdCitation, so the clinical reasoning your faculty assess stays yours.
What one clinical search returned
We put "hypertension blood pressure control primary care" into Find sources on 27 September 2026, sorted by most cited. It reported 396,958 records, from OpenAlex. The first result was "Tight blood pressure control and risk of macrovascular and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes: UKPDS 38", by the UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group, BMJ, 1998, cited 6,743 times. The second, the SPRINT trial in the New England Journal of Medicine (2015), had its DOI pasted into Cite a source, which produced the entry in six styles from the Crossref record and reported no retraction. The most cited paper is rarely the newest, so check what came after it.
Which style will your medical school ask for?
AMA or Vancouver, at the two schools we read. The University of Iowa's (2026) guide for MD and PA students sets out both, noting that the ICMJE recommends Vancouver; Virginia Commonwealth University's (2026) medicine guide gives AMA and the National Library of Medicine's style. Neither sets one style for every course, so the syllabus decides. Cite a source builds six styles: APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 18 author-date, Harvard, IEEE and Vancouver; AMA is not among them. Verify references checks each entry against the records and flags retractions, and Check your paper turns an assignment's instructions into a checklist, at no cost and with no sign-up; Pro ($8 a month) adds formatting checks (pricing). Trials, Cochrane reviews and guidelines are covered in Vancouver for medicine.
Quick questions
How many years does it take to become a doctor in the US?
At least 11 years after high school: four of college, four of medical school and 3 to 9 of residency.
Is USMLE Step 1 pass/fail?
Yes, for exams taken on or after 26 January 2022. Step 2 CK and Step 3 still carry three-digit scores.
Is a DO a real doctor?
Yes. DOs are fully licensed physicians: all 50 states accept COMLEX-USA for licensure, and DOs train in the same accredited residencies as MDs.
What is a good MCAT score?
No single score is set nationally. Totals run from 472 to 528 with a midpoint of 500; compare each school's own admissions figures.
Can EdCitation help with medical school papers?
For the research side, yes. Find sources on EdCitation surfaces published studies for a clinical question, and Cite a source sets them in any of six styles; the writing, of papers and applications alike, stays yours.
References
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. (n.d.-a). Become an osteopathic medical doctor. https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. (n.d.-b). Medical board examinations and licensure. https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/succeed-in-medical-school/board-examinations-and-licensure
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. (n.d.-c). Quick facts about osteopathic medical education. https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/about-osteopathic-medicine/quick-facts
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. (n.d.-d). What is osteopathic medicine. https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/about-osteopathic-medicine
- Association of American Medical Colleges. (n.d.-a). About the AMCAS program. https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school-amcas/about-amcas-program
- Association of American Medical Colleges. (n.d.-b). Admission requirements. https://students-residents.aamc.org/medical-school-admission-requirements/admission-requirements
- Association of American Medical Colleges. (n.d.-c). How is the MCAT exam scored? https://students-residents.aamc.org/mcat-scores/how-mcat-exam-scored
- Association of American Medical Colleges. (n.d.-d). MCAT scheduling fees. https://students-residents.aamc.org/register-mcat-exam/mcat-scheduling-fees
- Association of American Medical Colleges. (n.d.-e). Testing attempt limits. https://students-residents.aamc.org/register-mcat-exam/publication-chapters/testing-attempt-limits
- Association of American Medical Colleges. (n.d.-f). What's on the MCAT exam? https://students-residents.aamc.org/whats-mcat-exam/publication-chapters/whats-mcat-exam
- Association of American Medical Colleges. (n.d.-g). When is the right time to take the MCAT exam? https://students-residents.aamc.org/prepare-mcat-exam/when-right-time-take-mcat-exam-three-questions-ask-yourself
- Association of American Medical Colleges. (2025, October). Medical student education: Debt, costs, and loan repayment fact card for the class of 2025. https://store.aamc.org/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/652/
- Association of American Medical Colleges. (2026). 2027 AMCAS applicant guide. https://students-residents.aamc.org/media/11616/download
- Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Physicians and surgeons. In Occupational outlook handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm
- Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. (2026). Requirements for ECFMG Certification. ECFMG 2026 information booklet. https://www.ecfmg.org/2026ib/certification-requirements.html
- Federation of State Medical Boards. (n.d.). About physician licensure. https://www.fsmb.org/u.s.-medical-regulatory-trends-and-actions/guide-to-medical-regulation-in-the-united-states/about-physician-licensure/
- Federation of State Medical Boards. (2023). Pathway to medical licensure in the U.S. https://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/usmle-step3/pdfs/pathway-to-licensure.pdf
- Federation of State Medical Boards. (2026, April). International medical graduates GME requirements. https://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/advocacy/policies/img-gme-requirements-key-issue-chart.pdf
- Medical Board of California. (n.d.). Postgraduate training. https://www.mbc.ca.gov/Licensing/Physicians-and-Surgeons/Apply/Physicians-and-Surgeons-License/Postgraduate-Training.aspx
- National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. (2022, January 24). COMLEX-USA Level 1 to eliminate numeric scores. https://www.nbome.org/news/comlex-usa-level-1-to-eliminate-numeric-scores/
- National Resident Matching Program. (n.d.). 2027 Main Residency Match applicants calendar. https://www.nrmp.org/match-calendars/main-residency-applicants/
- National Resident Matching Program. (2026, March 20). NRMP releases results of the 2026 Main Residency Match. https://www.nrmp.org/about/news/2026/03/nrmp-releases-results-of-the-2026-main-residency-match-for-more-than-38000-future-residents/
- United States Medical Licensing Examination. (n.d.-a). Examination results and scoring. https://www.usmle.org/scores-transcripts/examination-results-and-scoring
- United States Medical Licensing Examination. (n.d.-b). Step 1. https://www.usmle.org/step-1/
- United States Medical Licensing Examination. (n.d.-c). Step 2 CK. https://www.usmle.org/step-exams/step-2-ck
- United States Medical Licensing Examination. (n.d.-d). Step 3 exam content. https://www.usmle.org/step-exams/step-3/step-3-exam-content
- University of Iowa. (2026). MD and PA students: Citing sources. https://guides.lib.uiowa.edu/MD_PA/citations
- Virginia Commonwealth University. (2026). Medicine: Citation styles. https://guides.library.vcu.edu/citation-styles/medicine