When you’re on the road to becoming a physician, you should know that medical school isn’t the end of your journey. There are many steps to go before you can start your career in medicine.

An article from Kaplan lays out what you should expect:

• Meet your “match.” The match is the process where medical students are matched to residency programs. When nearing graduation, medical students should start applying for residencies. Your residency could define your entire career.

• Complete your residency. Residencies range from two to four years, and they are intense training for future physicians. They’ll be introduced to different specialties and gain experience in multiple areas of medicine.

• Continue onward with fellowships and board certifications. For some, the road ends at residencies, but many physicians continue on to specialize in a particular field. This extended training can last anywhere from one to three years.

After all this extensive training, young doctors can now enter the field as practicing physicians, and there are a wide range of options open to pursue.

Many lucrative locum tenens opportunities are available for physicians to travel and work with multiple hospitals or practices to continue gaining experience. The physician shortage has also created many openings in markets across the United States – especially in rural communities.

Learn more about how you can jumpstart your career in medicine with the staff at TinkBird Healthcare Staffing.