What is the ABSOLUTE quickest way to become a Doctor?

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What is the quickest path to becoming a doctor? No lab pre-reqs taken.

Going foreign? Korea? Europe? Military? Cost does not mater. Location does not matter. Just time.

Originally Posted by loren646

What is the quickest path to becoming a doctor? No lab pre-reqs taken.

Going foreign? Korea? Europe? Military? Cost does not mater. Location does not matter. Just time.

Sorry, but this post just sounds like a generally bad idea. "Quick" paths kill patients. Please slow down and consider patient care. If you want a quick route into medicine, I'd suggest a PA program as it will get you out practicing in about 3 years full-time (1 year for pre-reqs if you plan it right, 2 years for PA school). You'd be a mid-level but there's no way you're going to get to fully licensed and board-certified physician able to practice in the U.S. (post-residency) in less than about 9 years otherwise (assuming no pre-reqs completed). Any program that did allow you to "bypass" those requirements would place at significant risk any patient you were to treat.

I don't think there's a quick way to becoming a doctor.

Originally Posted by loren646

What is the quickest path to becoming a doctor? No lab pre-reqs taken.

Going foreign? Korea? Europe? Military? Cost does not mater. Location does not matter. Just time.

There are no shortcuts. The majority of failed attempts stem from rushing things. You either are willing to invest the time required, or you should find another career. This is a marathon, which dovetails into a life of learning, not a job toucan rush into and expect to be successful or competent. If you haven't taken the prereqs, plan on a minimum of 6 years before you start residency, and probably close to a decade before you can enter private practice. That's just the way it works in the US. If you can't put in that time find something else.

Take lab prereqs. Take MCAT. Apply to schools. Go 4 years to a medical school. Don't do residency. Bam! You're done.

As others have said, there are no shortcuts.

You could be a "doctor" relatively quickly if you got famous and a college gave you an honorary doctorate. You may not even have to get famous! Technically, you'd be a doctor, but not a medical doctor.

Can we ask why you are in such a hurry?

I am beginning to doubt the OP will even come back and reply on this thread. I don't think I've seen such a unanimous thread without any dissenters in quite some time... After 5 replies, we're already....

about 2 days.....http://www.bogusphd.com/

Originally Posted by loren646

What is the quickest path to becoming a doctor? No lab pre-reqs taken.

Going foreign? Korea? Europe? Military? Cost does not mater. Location does not matter. Just time.

You can probably buy a degree at some of the less reputable Caribbean schools.

As other have said, there are no shortcuts.

Originally Posted by loren646

What is the quickest path to becoming a doctor? No lab pre-reqs taken.

Going foreign? Korea? Europe? Military? Cost does not mater. Location does not matter. Just time.

Send me a million dollars, and I'll send you an MD diploma plus residency graduation diploma plus board certification. We can close the deal in under five minutes if you pay me online. Of course, I'm not saying which planet you'd be licensed to practice on, mind you.

Everyone here just seems like this is the only way. You don't even question it. Just accept it. But there has to be other ways. I see all these foreign doctors who are licensed in India and the such coming over here and practicing. None of them seem to be going the 10 year route.

So there are definitely shortcuts but no one seems to be talking about it. Just because someone spent 10 years doing this and another only 6 years. Does NOT mean either one is a better doctor. Time does not equal ability.

Originally Posted by loren646

Everyone here just seems like this is the only way. You don't even question it. Just accept it. But there has to be other ways. I see all these foreign doctors who are licensed in India and the such coming over here and practicing. None of them seem to be going the 10 year route.

So there are definitely shortcuts but no one seems to be talking about it. Just because someone spent 10 years doing this and another only 6 years. Does NOT mean either one is a better doctor. Time does not equal ability.

Loren, all joking aside, if you already know the answer to your own question, then why come here just to see yourself type? Go to India or any other country if you like. Apply for their med schools, get in if you can, go through their residency afterward, and practice in their country for a while before coming back to the US, repeating your residency here if you can get accepted, and then practicing here. I would wager that the route your proposed would probably take twice as long as getting a good, old-fashioned American degree, not half as long. But maybe you're smarter than I am.

none.

You have to do all of the pre-requisites with labs if you want to go to school in the United States. The time, where you shadowed a physician for so many years that you knew how to be a doctor died with loss of the last frontier town in the US almost 100 years ago.

If you go to a foreign country and can get into medical school with their minimum requirements, all power to you. If you want to practice in the US, you need to take the USMLE 1, 2, and 3 to be licensed. Not to mention you have to send your transcripts from your medical school to the residency program and when they see that you did not need any of the pre-reqs that US medical students need to get into medical school you may be hard pressed to find someone that will take you let along an insurance company that will insure you.

This is the way it is done in the US. Take it or leave it. We did not invent it, we just follow it. But I must tell you, not even the big 4 in the Caribbean will interview you without the pre-reqs.

If you do not like the answer given, then do not ask the question.

Originally Posted by loren646

Everyone here just seems like this is the only way. You don't even question it. Just accept it. But there has to be other ways. I see all these foreign doctors who are licensed in India and the such coming over here and practicing. None of them seem to be going the 10 year route.

So there are definitely shortcuts but no one seems to be talking about it. Just because someone spent 10 years doing this and another only 6 years. Does NOT mean either one is a better doctor. Time does not equal ability.

Believe me, plenty of us feel the urgency to become a doctor now.

You would be best served, however, by heeding the accumulated wisdom you have received (over and over, based on your prior posts) regarding what it will take to become a doctor. You are going to have to do some sort of post-bac for at least a year (under the fastest possible circumstances), then endure a gap year while you are interviewing for and hopefully being admitted to medical school, then four years of medical school, then at least three years of residency. Your prior posts indicate you want to practice in some very select specialties, so you will almost certainly need to attend medical school in the U.S. If you're not willing to make that sacrifice, and risk failure on the way, do you really want to be a doctor?

India is not a diploma mill. I believe the medical school programs there take five-and-a-half years and you will still need to take the USMLEs and get into a U.S. residency (again, a minimum of three years, and many more for the specialties you have previously expressed interest in). Maybe you save money (not your professed concern), but not time.

What is your rush?

I'm trying to think of a fast way to learn all of the things that a doctor needs to know. The four years of med school has been compared to "drinking from a fire-hose". I'm trying to think of a faster way than that.

The newly graduated MD or DO, still bloated with knowledge is now a newly minted intern and he's scared to his toes of actually killing someone. Have you seen those poor white-faced interns on "Trauma, Life in the ER" who are going to put in a chest tube for the first time?

This intern is now going to spend every waking moment for the next year trying to perform up to a doctor's standard until he is now a resident, actually trusted to actually treat somebody. How can this year of total immersion be sped up? How can he gain this practical experience any other way?

Let's consider the graduate intern a doctor (of sorts) - at least as good a doctor as any new foreign doctor attempting to start in the US. How can anyone imagine a way where a man or woman can gain this much knowledge and practical experience in less than 5 years? The system already moves as fast as it is possible to move.

Maybe the system could skip the previous years, the pre-med years. Admittedly the skill to pass music-apprecation clearly has nothing to do with treating people. On the other hand, how are we to select candidates for medical school? If the medical schools are going to be open to everyone, then a lot more people are going to flunk out and we are going to need to drastically increase the number of medical schools just to supply the same number of doctors.

If the system did that, we would then have thousands of flunked medical students with huge debts being dumped on the economy each year. Somehow I don't think that is a good plan.

I'm sorry, Loren. There is no faster way to train a doctor. Fortunately, we won't have to deal with a poorly trained Loren in any of our hospitals, since you will never get an MD or DO and practice in the US anyway.

I know of only one, tried and true method.

Vinnie Delpino guards Doogie Howser's secrect of "How to become a doctor before you are 16". If you want this secret, you simply must distract Vinny with a 2 pound stromboli, and swipe the secret while his attention remains glued to aforementioned stromboli. Warning:Easier said then done.-SH

Originally Posted by EdLongshanks

Fortunately, we won't have to deal with a poorly trained Loren in any of our hospitals, since you will never get an MD or DO and practice in the US anyway.

Thats a little harsh...

OP, did you look for discussions on the topic elsewhere first? I didnt read these because I dont care about the subject. Hopefully it helps you.

I could see going to school there if you have a heart for their plight and want an opportunity to serve their populations. But to go over there to take up a seat in one of their schools to serve yourself and take the place of a student who would stay there to work is selfish and, as the others have said, just an all around bad idea.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=313953

http://www.studentdoc.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3368

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/...l-schools.html

I absolutely hate school. I'm bored of dumb kids asking the same dumb questions in class. Professors who don't give a **** having their TAs teach and grade exams. TAs reading from the book and going over the same stuff I just spent 2 hours reading beforehand (while the lecture takes 5 hours).

I'm in school now and realize how much I loathe it.

I'd love to do something actually meaningful. ****, if I could become a general combat surgeon I'd be fine and learn the old way of a mentor - that'd be top notch. Or if I could read on my own. And only show up to class to participate in the lab portions and to take exams.

For example, I took shortcuts in College. Many people don't know this but you can SKIP requirements by taking AP exams (even if you NEVER took the AP class in high school). In college, I took the exam for AP C++. I scored a 5 and they said I did not have to take a computer course.

Could I take AP Chemistry get a 5 on it and be out of the Pre-Req since it worked in college? Stuff like this. Online classes? Can I take more classes at a time?

Loren, I seriously doubt you will be able to use AP credits at this point in your academic career. In addition, many medical schools explicitly do not accept AP credits in lieu of the actual courses. I believe some SDN members have taken online classes, but I do not know the specifics of their situations.

I recommend that you call up some medical schools you are interested in attending and get their feedback.

Originally Posted by loren646

I absolutely hate school. I'm bored of dumb kids asking the same dumb questions in class. Professors who don't give a **** having their TAs teach and grade exams. TAs reading from the book and going over the same stuff I just spent 2 hours reading beforehand (while the lecture takes 5 hours).

I'm in school now and realize how much I loathe it.

I'd love to do something actually meaningful. ****, if I could become a general combat surgeon I'd be fine and learn the old way of a mentor - that'd be top notch. Or if I could read on my own. And only show up to class to participate in the lab portions and to take exams.

For example, I took shortcuts in College. Many people don't know this but you can SKIP requirements by taking AP exams (even if you NEVER took the AP class in high school). In college, I took the exam for AP C++. I scored a 5 and they said I did not have to take a computer course.

Could I take AP Chemistry get a 5 on it and be out of the Pre-Req since it worked in college? Stuff like this. Online classes? Can I take more classes at a time?

I dont know about undergrad...the problem with shortcuts is that some of them, online classes and such, look bad to adcoms.

I know little about it but look into PBL medical schools. From what I have gathered some med schools teach with PBL and students like yourself who would rather learn outside of a lecture really enjoy and benefit from this.

Originally Posted by loren646

I absolutely hate school. I'm bored of dumb kids asking the same dumb questions in class. Professors who don't give a **** having their TAs teach and grade exams. TAs reading from the book and going over the same stuff I just spent 2 hours reading beforehand (while the lecture takes 5 hours).

I'm in school now and realize how much I loathe it.

I'd love to do something actually meaningful. ****, if I could become a general combat surgeon I'd be fine and learn the old way of a mentor - that'd be top notch. Or if I could read on my own. And only show up to class to participate in the lab portions and to take exams.

For example, I took shortcuts in College. Many people don't know this but you can SKIP requirements by taking AP exams (even if you NEVER took the AP class in high school). In college, I took the exam for AP C++. I scored a 5 and they said I did not have to take a computer course.

Could I take AP Chemistry get a 5 on it and be out of the Pre-Req since it worked in college? Stuff like this. Online classes? Can I take more classes at a time?

I learn much better on my own and rarely went to a lecture that I felt wasn't beneficial. As someone said earlier, look into medical schools that utilize PBL.

You should get rid of the shortcut mentality. I think you're doing yourself a real disservice. There really aren't any shortcuts in the whole process, so you might as well get used to it now.

For someone who's demonstrating such a visceral aversion to hoop jumping I'm not sure medicine is the career for you.

cuz the hoop jumping doesn't end just cuz you have an MD after your name.

Better to make your peace with this aspect of professional careers as part of the cost of doing work you enjoy.

Originally Posted by loren646

I absolutely hate school. I'm bored of dumb kids asking the same dumb questions in class. Professors who don't give a **** having their TAs teach and grade exams. TAs reading from the book and going over the same stuff I just spent 2 hours reading beforehand (while the lecture takes 5 hours).

I'm in school now and realize how much I loathe it.

I'd love to do something actually meaningful. ****, if I could become a general combat surgeon I'd be fine and learn the old way of a mentor - that'd be top notch. Or if I could read on my own. And only show up to class to participate in the lab portions and to take exams.

For example, I took shortcuts in College. Many people don't know this but you can SKIP requirements by taking AP exams (even if you NEVER took the AP class in high school). In college, I took the exam for AP C++. I scored a 5 and they said I did not have to take a computer course.

Could I take AP Chemistry get a 5 on it and be out of the Pre-Req since it worked in college? Stuff like this. Online classes? Can I take more classes at a time?

So...what you're trying to tell us is you're a slacker, don't want to go to class, but DO want to operate on people in extreme need (i.e., emergency surgery)... Interesting... From what you've said, I don't think you'd make it through a day of med school, much less residency. From this, I would have to wonder if you have trouble tolerating others' needs (questions). Additionally, you have a history of finding ways around actually learning (i.e., by testing out of courses w/ no intention of continuing your education at a higher level). No offense, but that sounds a bit immature to me. Sure, I understand wanting to become a doctor ASAP, but the fact is that there are req'ts for a reason. Please consider what shortcuts could do to your px. Yes, some things will suck when it comes to academics but your post wreaks of a poor attitude. I doubt every class has been taught by poor TAs or that every class has unbearable students. Such, we all have "that" kid in class w/ the constant, dumb questions but you're going to have "him" show up throughout life. Learn some tolerance, dude.

Well, you could always just start calling yourself doctor. It worked for Dre.

Regardless of where you go, you can't avoid the school part the training, so if you hate that, medicine probably isn't for you. Also, medicine in general just isn't pure high excitement. Some fields have a decent amount of excitement, but they also have plenty of down time and tediousness. It sounds like it's really excitement you're craving, so I'd look into other careers. Maybe fire-fighting or being a paramedic would work for you.

Not to continue to pummel a deceased equine organism, but seriously Loren I get the impression that (please correct me if this is wrong) you think you are intellectually superior to your instructors or perhaps more brilliant than the individuals around you, as indicated by your post proclaiming the pure incompetence of your fellow students as well as the professors and TA's at your institution, then perhaps medicine, or for that matter anything in the medical field is not for you. The medical environment is that of a team, and though there are many physicians who are intelligent enough to fly solo, most realize that there is an innate value in consulation with other peers, as well as the fact that you must depend on PAs, RNs, PharmDs, and other professionals to effectively care for patients - essentially, it seems as if you are similar to how I once viewed my self, too arrogant due to getting a 4.0 gpa, etc in undergrad and thinking I was too cool for school and that I could do anything better than anyone else (I had taken as many as 26 credit hrs of primarily science courses in one SEMESTER, but many will tell you that undergrad is nothing compared to a professional medical education whether it be in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, or optometry). It is great to be confident, but not overly so. All this does is drive a wedge between yourself and anyone else who would be there to help you. Maybe I'm off on all this, but I get the feeling that your only 'time constraint' is that you feel the length of med school is unecessary for someone like you due to your intellect and that most of it would merely be remedial at best, however I feel that this is totally the wrong assumption to make as the breadth of medical knowledge is so vast and expansive you will never fully master even 75% of what is out there. NEway not trying to be harsh man, just my 0.02

(Now if you do in fact have a 4.0 from the likes of hopkins or a similarly difficult undergrad coupled with a 45 on the MCAT on the first try, you probably can back up any claim you wanna make)

Originally Posted by loren646

What is the quickest path to becoming a doctor? No lab pre-reqs taken.

Going foreign? Korea? Europe? Military? Cost does not mater. Location does not matter. Just time.

I saw an infomercial, basically 3 months for $1999 and you have to practice in mexico.

D

go to a undergrad institution with a linkage program that lets you skip most of the prereqs. My cousin go into one and only had to take a 6-week "summary course" instead of 2 semesters of orgo & physics (w/ lab). That being said, it'd still take the same number of years, probably...

At least in the old days, some people go into medical schools without even completing a bachelors (like patch adams)

Originally Posted by loren646

I absolutely hate school. I'm bored of dumb kids asking the same dumb questions in class. Professors who don't give a **** having their TAs teach and grade exams. TAs reading from the book and going over the same stuff I just spent 2 hours reading beforehand (while the lecture takes 5 hours).

You're not alone. Everyone hates the pre-reqs. Your problem is that you're thinking they're about learning, about being in "school" - which they are not. Pre-reqs are a form of academic hazing, designed to grind students down. Yes you might learn a bit of useful information, but it's mostly just a game of "whoever can tolerate the most bull**** wins"

I hated being in all of my pre-requisite courses, even the good ones. It's an awful experience, but just remember that if you survive it only gets easier later on.

Originally Posted by loren646

I'd love to do something actually meaningful.

http://www.amazonpromise.com/
If you are 18+ they will take you. PM me if you want to know more. There are plenty of other worthwhile volunteer gigs you can take up, too. Just look around your town. Teach ESL. Help out at a homeless shelter. Volunteer at a boys & girls club, or to help take care of disabled people in your community. Not as sexy as general combat surgeon but meaningful nonetheless.

Originally Posted by loren646

****, if I could become a general combat surgeon I'd be fine and learn the old way of a mentor - that'd be top notch.

Not how it works. You got to climb your way up the hierarchy.

Originally Posted by loren646

Could I take AP Chemistry get a 5 on it and be out of the Pre-Req since it worked in college? Stuff like this. Online classes? Can I take more classes at a time?

Doubt you could take an AP to get out of a class if you are already in college. Also, you could be shafting yourself for the MCAT - it draws directly on the material you're talking about skipping.

My 0.02: just suffer through the pre-req's like we all did. It's not all that hard to score better than the avg college student who thinks s/he is going to be a doctor even though they go out and get hammered every weekend and do 2 hours of homework a week. Just make the extra effort. It's a shi**y way to live but ace your pre-reqs and you will be thanking yourself by the time the MCAT rolls around.

Addit: I get the sense from your posts that you're probably not doing well in college. Consider taking time off getting your feet wet in a real healthcare profession, or something like that. I did terribly as an undergrad (graduated in the bottom quartile of my class), and complained the whole time about many of the same things you mention. Had I taken some time off I think I might have gotten a different perspective.

Geez.

The OP asks a simple question and gets pummeled for it.

In the U.S., the quickest way to become an M.D. is a 6 or 7 year combined degree program. Some of those programs at Universities that have medical schools. I know Tulane has a 7 year combine program. You generally have to apply for them and they are competitive.

No matter what, though, you can't get around the fact that Medical School is 4 years (at least in the states). If you are bored with college, you can try and gun you credit hours, graduate early, and apply to medical school.

I hope that helps and G/L

Originally Posted by loren646

I'd love to do something actually meaningful. ****, if I could become a general combat surgeon I'd be fine and learn the old way of a mentor - that'd be top notch. Or if I could read on my own. And only show up to class to participate in the lab portions and to take exams.

Unfortunately for you, and fortunately for soldiers, the days of "meatball surgery" on the battlefields of Korea are a relic of military medicine that no longer exists.

Even in those days, the Docs still had to graduate from Medical School first, so maybe you'd have to go back to the Civil War to find that still in play.

I think if your plan is to graduate from US medical school, there is really no true shortcut you can take. It's 4 years of medical school followed by a residency, the length of which depends on your specialty. I know few physicians who did not complete college but took all the prerequisites in 3 years and then went to medical school. There are others that finished college in 3 years and moved on to the next step. When it comes to US medical schools, it's 4 years no matter how you cut it. I personally would not want to take a shortcut when it comes to medical school or residency. There are a lot of things one must learn when it comes to medicine, after all upon graduating you will be taking care of patients not machines. Good luck on your education and remember this: Fast is not always good and less is not always more.

My uncle's wife (Aunt) did it in 5 years, not including residency however. She went to a school in Grenada somewhere that did not require a college degree. She had no prior college. She did her premed requirements there in 1 year and matriculated directly into their medical school and finished that in 4 years. She got accepted into a residency program here and finished her residency in Anesthesiology and is now a practicing physician in DC. So she was able to shave off 3 years of the average 8 years to obtain the MD. This was however quite some time ago since she's been a practicing physician now for at least 6 or 7 years.

This is probably one of the shortest methods possible but at the end of the day 2 or 3 years is not really going to make that much of a difference in the long run, take your time and enjoy the process.

Originally Posted by nabeel76

My uncle's wife (Aunt) did it in 5 years, not including residency however. She went to a school in Grenada somewhere that did not require a college degree. She had no prior college. She did her premed requirements there in 1 year and matriculated directly into their medical school and finished that in 4 years. She got accepted into a residency program here and finished her residency in Anesthesiology and is now a practicing physician in DC. So she was able to shave off 3 years of the average 8 years to obtain the MD. This was however quite some time ago since she's been a practicing physician now for at least 6 or 7 years.

This is probably one of the shortest methods possible but at the end of the day 2 or 3 years is not really going to make that much of a difference in the long run, take your time and enjoy the process.

I took the original question to be sincere and not a way to get a medical license out of a gum ball machine.

I was searching for the same answer myself, just out of curiousity because I was old enough to watch Doogie Howser.

So what I wanted to know was whether you could max out courses at a junior college in Chemistry, Biology and Physics, get the units to transfer within a year to a 4 year university, but continue taking the Physics, Chemistry and Bio courses at the junior college to get all of them... This way you double up on the all the courses. (I am assuming a super-human individual who can handle 10 classes a quarter, if that person is able to take 10 classes. A college might limit you, but in theory, you could get around that.)

So now you have transfered and can take some upper-division classes, but continue taking every lower division course that could help at the junior college. Any Human Anatomy classes and so on.

So now maybe you get your BS degree within a year or 18 months after transferring.

You were basically doing pre-med, so let's assume you get in to medical school. This is where I would wonder about speed. They are going to require a specific set of courses taken in a specific lineup. So if their program is 5 years, you can't do it in less than 5. Is that right? And if it is 4 years, you cannot do it in less than 4. Right?

I am guessing that many Medical School classes aren't available to non-Medical school students. So you can't be flipping through the catelog in your junior year and saying...hmm... I could take basketweaving, but hey, Gross Human Anatomy! I think I will take that. And then skip that class in Medical School.

So my question was mainly how you could speed things up, graduate early if your entire focus was every possible course that would need to have done to become a medical doctor.

It's a hypothetical question. Just how fast could you do it?

Originally Posted by Epiphany

So my question was mainly how you could speed things up, graduate early if your entire focus was every possible course that would need to have done to become a medical doctor.

It's a hypothetical question. Just how fast could you do it?

I think that you may be under a misconception that U.S. medical school is similar to undergraduate college. It isn't. The class moves through the years in lockstep. You can't begin your 2 clinical years until you have taken step 1, and while 1 or two of the classes in preparation for Step 1 may (theoretically) have been covered during undergrad. I've never heard of anyone who found the first 2 academic years easy.

After the first 2 academic years (which LECOM manages to squeeze into a little less than 1 1/2 years) You've still got 22 months of rotations. No school would keep their accreditation if they reduced these significantly. Again, LECOM squeezes them a little for some of their Family Medicine doctors. The only reason that they get by with this is because these people are not trying for competitive residencies.

The reason that you cannot squeeze much time out of the 4 years of doctor training is because there is nothing to squeeze. The average and below average medical students need the 4 years in order not to drown and the gunners use these four years to get themselves into more coveted residencies.

LECOM, again, with their 3 year program, is an exception because they have a few brilliant students who are willing to sacrifice competitive residencies for a faster degree. There is no huge demand for this anywhere else.

I doubt we are going to get the OP back but I would like to get thread's opinion, comments, insight on the possible motivation, mind set, etc of the original question... what is the quickest way to get into medical school?

I see this attitude frequently on introductory postings on OldPreMeds, along with frequent comments on age, feeling isolated, etc. My interpretation has always been that many people have the desire to be a doctor bubbling inside and it finally hits them. Then they feel that are "old" and have to get everything done NOW! I've see too many oldpremeds jump both feet first into a fulltime or over fulltime postbacc, especially having been out of school for years, and crash and burn.

What is group's comments on to the have to get it done quickly attitude?

Originally Posted by loren646

Everyone here just seems like this is the only way. You don't even question it. Just accept it. But there has to be other ways. I see all these foreign doctors who are licensed in India and the such coming over here and practicing. None of them seem to be going the 10 year route.

So there are definitely shortcuts but no one seems to be talking about it. Just because someone spent 10 years doing this and another only 6 years. Does NOT mean either one is a better doctor. Time does not equal ability.

Did you take into account the time and struggle these docs went though to get accredited to practice in India? Here is a very high level breakdown.

Take the required entrance exams for each national medical college or each state college system to which you apply right after high school. Needless to say that you need to have very high grades in high school.
There are litterally 1000's of applicants (keep in mind the country's population) - some colleges even have over 100,000 applicants and only about 50 - 150 are accepted per school.
Attend Medical School for 5 years to earn the MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) degree
Undergo at least a 1 year internship (2 years for some of the top schools) - the working hours are a minimum of 72-96 hours a week
Get your certification to practice medicine (basically family practice equivalent in US terms)
Most national and state medical collages will make you practice medicine for 2 years in a rural / remote area (making you give back to the community)

Continue your medical education by pursuing post-graduate studies - get an MD or MS in a certain field (another 2 years at least) - most doctors do this as while you are eligible to practice medicine with MBBS - you really need this to be called a specialist in anything or do surgeries

Essentially, you can come to the US with the 5 year MBBS + 1 year internship (along with your accredition) and then go through the residency and the USMLEs. You can do the math as to which one is faster if you want to practice in the US.

Originally Posted by gonnif

I doubt we are going to get the OP back but I would like to get thread's opinion, comments, insight on the possible motivation, mind set, etc of the original question... what is the quickest way to get into medical school?

I see this attitude frequently on introductory postings on OldPreMeds, along with frequent comments on age, feeling isolated, etc. My interpretation has always been that many people have the desire to be a doctor bubbling inside and it finally hits them. Then they feel that are "old" and have to get everything done NOW! I've see too many oldpremeds jump both feet first into a fulltime or over fulltime postbacc, especially having been out of school for years, and crash and burn.

What is group's comments on to the have to get it done quickly attitude?

Gonnif, I love you man. You hit the nail on the head. I say be careful and do it right.

I will be moving to full-time, but I have to finish the course I started, and I work like a dog right now...no less than 56 hrs per week-- often back- to-back shifts...up all night and then working all day. Why? It's to help with my tuition and my kids' tuition. I know I will have to back down soon, but so far I've kept a 4.0. Eventually that will suffer if I keep this schedule, but right now, this is what I have to do-- go to school PT while working more than full-time.


I expect things to switch up in the next year, but I am on my own time table and no one else's.

Personally, I think the person who said the OP thinks that he is somehow superior to the rest of us is correct. Even the Carib schools (at least the big 4) require bachelors degrees, so that's 4 years, and to correct the question, it isn't to get into med school, it's to become a doc... I know you can get online "doctor of herbal medicine" type degrees for like 50$ online... It's a piece of paper with your name and a title on it... But you can't do anything with it...

In regards to how to prevent the flash in the pan premed postbach, it seems important to understand the motivation of such individuals.

I would assume they are quitting a job they see as monotonous and dead end and want the polar opposite of that. Practicing medicine seems glamorous so they shoot for the moon. The problem is that postbach premed can betedious, and is such a change of pace that it can be difficult to adapt to quickly. As we all know it is also extremely risky/expensive, both financially and socially.

I think in the future....mid level providers will take on a greater role in the healthcare system. PA, NP are great routes for a career switch into clinical medicine that has a great salary and a quality of life balance. It can also be completed more quickly and with less cost. The problem is that most postbach premed in this situation have quit their job and have oriented their entire life to this pursuit, to that end they wish to shoot for the moon (i.e. doctor).

You have to do all of the pre-requisites with labs if you want to go to school in the United States

Except physics lab. I will never take physics lab, ever.

Well... I'm personally a bit skeptical about anyone who's looking for shortcuts into medicine...

But it is a fair hypothetical question to ask how quickly someone can make it through medical school, so I thought that I'd share some a link to the Flexible MD program at University of Minnesota, which allows you to complete a regular MD degree in anywhere from 3.5 to 6 years.

I was looking into it for a while, but then I realized that I would hate living in Minnesota.

Originally Posted by hopefuldoc97239

Well... I'm personally a bit skeptical about anyone who's looking for shortcuts into medicine...

But it is a fair hypothetical question to ask how quickly someone can make it through medical school, so I thought that I'd share some a link to the Flexible MD program at University of Minnesota, which allows you to complete a regular MD degree in anywhere from 3.5 to 6 years.

I was looking into it for a while, but then I realized that I would hate living in Minnesota.

Why would you hate living here? Do trees, lakes, and natural beauty offend you??

Originally Posted by loren646

...I see all these foreign doctors who are licensed in India and the such coming over here and practicing. None of them seem to be going the 10 year route....

I had A&P with a former doctor from India. He was working on getting pre-reqs to get to med school here. I also volunteered at an ER with a former doctor from Africa. He was doing the same thing.

Originally Posted by SBB2016

Why would you hate living here? Do trees, lakes, and natural beauty offend you??

Mosquitos.

Originally Posted by didanawisgi

Mosquitos.

You must live in a desert... There are mosquitoes everywhere!!! Except where there is no water... And at very high elevations...

Originally Posted by SBB2016

Why would you hate living here? Do trees, lakes, and natural beauty offend you??

Dude, I don't want to get into an argument over whose state is the best, but let me just say that I live in Oregon, which pretty much renders your argument invalid. We have mountains, snow, lakes, rivers, rain forests, deserts, and the ocean. Doesn't get any better than that for natural beauty.

And... we don't have any significant mosquito problems here. I might get one mosquito bite each year.

Why would I hate living in Minnesota? "Winters are cold and dry, while summer is hot and humid." (Climate of the twin Cities.)


So, not to dis on your home state, but I wouldn't want to live there

Originally Posted by loren646

I absolutely hate school. I'm bored of dumb kids asking the same dumb questions in class. Professors who don't give a **** having their TAs teach and grade exams. TAs reading from the book and going over the same stuff I just spent 2 hours reading beforehand (while the lecture takes 5 hours).

I'm in school now and realize how much I loathe it.

I'd love to do something actually meaningful. ****, if I could become a general combat surgeon I'd be fine and learn the old way of a mentor - that'd be top notch. Or if I could read on my own. And only show up to class to participate in the lab portions and to take exams.

For example, I took shortcuts in College. Many people don't know this but you can SKIP requirements by taking AP exams (even if you NEVER took the AP class in high school). In college, I took the exam for AP C++. I scored a 5 and they said I did not have to take a computer course.

Could I take AP Chemistry get a 5 on it and be out of the Pre-Req since it worked in college? Stuff like this. Online classes? Can I take more classes at a time?

Originally Posted by didanawisgi

I had A&P with a former doctor from India. He was working on getting pre-reqs to get to med school here. I also volunteered at an ER with a former doctor from Africa. He was doing the same thing.

I have a friend who was a former doctor in India. Now he's in the US and going to Pharmacy School.