neonatal doctor

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im 17 and i will be going off to college in about 6 more months. I plan to go to Vanderbilt University in nashville,tn to be a neonatal doctor. I have heard that i need to be a nurse first and then go on to be a doctor but do i really have to go through all of those steps or can i just go to school to be a doctor. i need help

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

No. You don't need to be a nurse before becoming a doctor. To be a physician, you go to college for 4 years. Then you go to medical school for another 4 years. Then you do a residency in the specialty of your choice. For example, to specialize in neonatology, you do a 3 year residency in pediatrics followed by a 2 year felloweship in pediatrics.

All and all, assuming you go the usual route to become a neonatologist, it will take you 13 years.

When you go to college, you should be talking with your advisor about your hopes to go to medical school. That way, you can be sure to take the right classes, etc. to qualify for admission to medical school.

Good luck.

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Just out of curiosity, how did you get the information that you had to be a nurse first, then go to medical school? Were the counselors @ your high school any help to you?

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