Education · 1 of 5

The path

Thirteen years after high school, minimum, and every step is competitive.

1. 1

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   Any major, as long as you finish the required biology, chemistry, physics and math courses. Grades and the admission test do the deciding.

2. 2

   Medical school

   4 years

   Four years for a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. Two years of classroom science, two years rotating through hospital departments.

3. 3

   Internal medicine residency

   3 years

   Three years of paid hospital training in adult medicine, matched through the national residency match. This is the base you specialize from.

4. 4

   Infectious disease fellowship

   2 years

   Usually two more years, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, focused on infections, antibiotics, immunocompromised patients and travel and tropical medicine.

5. 5

   State license and board certification

   Months, ongoing renewal

   A medical license from the state you work in, plus board certification in internal medicine and then in infectious disease.