Students enter medical school after completing standard four-year undergraduate programs in accredited colleges or universities. In medical school (four years), study focuses on the basic sciences (anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, etc.) as well as behavioral sciences. Students participate in clinical rotations in hospitals and clinics, working with experienced physicians and exploring a wide variety of medical specialties (family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, surgery, etc.). Completion of medical school earns students a doctor of medicine degree (MD). Some physicians choose to become doctors of osteopathy (DO). Similar to MD degrees, students receive osteopathic degrees after four years of study at osteopathic colleges. Osteopathic training emphasizes traditional diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, as well as the relationship of body systems and holistic patient care.

Residency is training that takes place after graduating from medical school. Residencies are usually organized through a university medical school where the physician practices in a local hospital. The physician receives professional training under the supervision of senior physician educators. The length of training varies from specialty to specialty. The first year of post-graduate residency training after medical school is referred to as an "internship."

Fellowship training is further training concentrating in a subspecialty based on the physician's original specialty. For instance, after completing a residency in Pediatrics, a physician may choose to complete a fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology. To become board certified in a subspecialty, a physician must complete fellowship training.