Doctors

[Sulis]

Feel sort of stupid asking this, but...

What's the average age for someone to become a doctor... All schooling completed, and able to open her own clinic? The doctor in question is going to be a general practitioner, methinks. I tried Google, and got a lot of info on med school ages.

[vampindelibleink]

In Australia? Minimum would be around 28 years (6 year degree plus internship plus GP training). It might be later depending on how old they were when they started the degree (some places may have a five year degree), whether they took time off to travel etc. But setting up on your own requires capital and business skills so in practice it might actually be later.

[snooze]

Wouldn't younger doctors do rounds in hospitals (not sure if GPs do that,) or become a part of an already-established clinic with a more experienced doctor? Maybe if your character was doing work in a developing or underprivileged country, setting up their own clinic might be easier.

[Sulis]

Her dad's bankrolling a new clinic, and so she's been offered a position fresh out of med shool, basically. I need to know how old she should be, to not be obnoxiously too young...

[vampindelibleink]

Her dad's bankrolling a new clinic, and so she's been offered a position fresh out of med shool, basically. I need to know how old she should be, to not be obnoxiously too young...
Again, this depends on whether you are talking about Australia. You'd still be looking at 28ish. You can't just walk out of med school and start practicing on your own (no matter how much you are being bankrolled) - a year of internship is a legal requirement. The extra training means that you get a provider number (plus extra letters after your name). Without a provider number, you cannot bill your services to Medicare (and your patients will not get any rebate if they pay up front).

You could probably find out more info from the RACGP or the medical board in your area.

[SouthernTiger]

My cousin just graduated from MUSC, and he's my age. 28.

He's also starting a new program in specialized dentistry, so that's another year or two, I think. But for a basic medical degree?

Four to five years of regular college, plus four to six years of med school, I think is about average. And a year of residency is required too, somewhere. I think that's a minimum.

The other cousin who went to med school did about the same, I think. 28 or 29.

[Sulis]

Then shall use 28... That's a bit older than I'd originally planned, but it'll work out just fine, methinks. Thanks, everybody!