Education · 1 of 5

The path

Fourteen to sixteen years after high school. There is no short version of this one.

1. 1

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   Any major, but you must complete the science prerequisites: biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and math.

2. 2

   The MCAT (medical school admission test) and applications

   A year of preparation and applying

   Run by the Association of American Medical Colleges, which also runs the shared application service. About 95,000 people sit the test each year.

3. 3

   Medical school

   4 years

   Two years of science, two years of clinical rotations. You take the first two steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination along the way.

4. 4

   Surgical training

   6 to 8 years

   Either a general surgery residency followed by a thoracic surgery fellowship, or an integrated thoracic surgery residency entered straight from medical school. Programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

5. 5

   Board certification

   After training

   The American Board of Thoracic Surgery runs a written examination and then an oral examination, held in Dallas, Texas, before it will certify you.