Emergency room doctors are required to complete medical school and residency.
Emergency room doctors are specially trained to deal with a wide range of patient emergencies, including cardiac arrest, gunshot or stab wounds, childbirth, broken limbs and drug overdoses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 4 percent of active, licensed physicians specialize in emergency room care; the hours are long and the work can pose an emotional and physical strain. ER doctors are well compensated, however; specialized physicians earn an average salary of $339, 738 per year.
Bachelor's Degree
Emergency room doctors are required to complete several years of post-secondary education, beginning with a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Although a specific major is not required for medical school admission, students planning a career in emergency medicine typically major in biology, physics or chemistry. Other pre-med requirements include a high GPA ("B" or better), competitive scores from the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test), a thought-provoking personal essay and glowing letters of recommendation. Some medical schools prefer applicants with experience working in health care or science; undergraduate candidates should consider working as a laboratory assistant, emergency medical technician or certified nursing assistant. Medical school admissions review boards also will want to see that applicants assumed leadership roles in organized extracurricular activities; this displays their ability to delegate responsibility and perform under pressure, both of which are skills integral to working as an ER doctor. Some medical schools allow students to choose whether they want their admissions to be based solely on academic accomplishments, such as grades or standardized test scores, or whether they want their admissions to be based on life experience and personal accomplishments.
Medical School
Emergency room doctors, like all other physicians, are required to complete four years of medical school at a school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association. Although students enter medical school with an intended specialty, attendees receive uniform education and training in all areas of medicine. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, typical medical school curriculum includes the following courses: biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, psychology, physiology, anatomy, pathology, and medical laws and ethics. Students also train under the close supervision of licensed physicians while rotating through various clinical specialties, including obstetrics and gynecology, family practice, psychiatry, surgery, pediatrics, family practice and internal medicine. At the close of their medical school program, future ER doctors will either be conferred an MD (Medical Doctor) degree or a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree, depending on the type of program students attended.
Residency and Licensing
All aspiring physicians are required to complete a hospital residency to gain additional education and specialized training in their field. Residencies in emergency room medicine typically last between three to four years; during the first year, residents are required to pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination to obtain the medical license allowing them to provide patient care. Emergency room residents are paid a small salary to observe and treat patients under the close supervision of attending ER physicians.
Board Certification
Following the completion of a residency program, ER physicians are required to become board certified by passing an examination administered by the American Board of Medical Specialists or the American Osteopathic Association.
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