How To Become An MD: What It Is and Career Path

What is an md and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

MD stands for Doctor of Medicine. Commonly referred to as physicians, MDs are licensed health care professionals who are responsible for restoring or maintaining human health through medical practice.

Their job is to examine patients and diagnose diseases consulting case histories whenever applicable. They come up with treatment plans, perform medical procedures, and administer medication. They also advise patients on necessary health practices to follow after treatment.

Doctors are often highly specialized in treating one area of the body, and they go through an extensive period of education, both theoretical and practical, assisting licensed professionals on the job for several years. Once you start working, your shifts will be long and the workload far from breezy. There is no real other way of becoming an MD than dedicating your life to providing health care.

ScoreMDUS Average

Salary

5.9

Avg. Salary $75,011

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.9

Growth Rate 16%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%

Asian 9.06%

Black or African American 14.48%

Hispanic or Latino 23.37%

Unknown 4.63%

White 47.66%

Gender

female 62.53%

male 37.47%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress Level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.4

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

8.6

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an md

Explore md education requirements

Most common md degrees

Bachelor's

38.5 %

Associate

18.2 %

Master's

10.2 %

Start to develop specific md skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	32.53%
Customer Service	8.37%
Surgical Procedures	5.91%
Surgery	5.05%
Patient Care	5.01%

Complete relevant md training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mds learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an md based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real md resumes.

Gain additional md certifications

Md certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific md certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for mds include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (NHA).

More About Certifications

Research md duties and responsibilities

Manage the office regarding Clia and OSHA laws and regulations
Manage on call pager for after hours triage and urgent matters while staying in complete communication with the physician.
Manage patient files by making new charts, keying all encounters through ICD-9 coding procedures and posting in patient database.
Operate electrocardiograph (EKG), call to schedule test for patients and routine office visits.

Prepare your md resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your md resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an md resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable MD Resume templates

Build a professional MD resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your MD resume.

Apply for md jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an md job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do mds rate their job?