Becoming an infectious disease doctor requires completing medical school, internships, and fellowships in internal medicine and infectious diseases. Good grades in math and science are recommended in high school, and a strong GPA is necessary for college admission. After medical school, students apply for internships and residencies before completing infectious disease fellowship programs. Board certification in internal medicine and infectious disease is required.
The person who wants to become an infectious disease doctor or what is sometimes called an infectious disease specialist looks forward to many years of study and training. Like all physicians, a person specializing in infectious diseases will need to complete medical school. Thereafter, consecutive fellowships in internal medicine and infectious diseases are required to become certified. Once certified, these doctors help diagnose or provide ongoing treatment for people with serious infectious diseases such as the HIV virus/AIDs or any other contagious condition that can cause serious harm to the body.
If the goal is to become an infectious disease doctor, people are advised to start early in high school, making sure to get especially good grades in math and science. If possible, it is recommended to take advanced placement courses to earn college credits in subjects such as calculus, chemistry, and biology. Students will need a good grade point average to get into a good college.
In undergraduate studies, people can take several possible courses. One is pre-med, but occasionally people are important in subjects like microbiology. A specialist in microbiology, provided medical schools accept him, may be a good choice because of his applications in infectious disease.
After graduating from college and taking the medical school admission test (MCAT), students apply to medical school. They will spend the next three to four years learning how to become doctors. The fourth year is usually an internship year, and students can use this time to decide on majors. If a student still wants to become an infectious disease physician, he or she will need to apply to residencies to become an internal medicine specialist.
Typically, internist residencies last about 3-4 years, but the resident who wants to become an infectious disease physician has not yet completed his or her studies. The next step is to apply for and be accepted into an infectious disease fellowship or residency. In places like the US, there are just over 100 of them; therefore, students will need to excel in in-home training programs and will require strong recommendations from their supervisors.
Infectious disease scholarship programs to become an infectious disease physician can vary in length. Most are about three years old, and some of them offer doctors the opportunity to specialize in specific types of infectious diseases like AIDs, adding another year of study. After all education is completed, the physician fills out the appropriate paperwork or takes the necessary exams to obtain board certification in internal medicine and infectious disease. Accreditation or certification agencies may have different requirements for board certification depending on the region.
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