By: Alaa Belmokhtar
In these times of the global pandemic that is Coronavirus, doctors have transcended into an even more essential role in society. Pulmonologists have especially been pushed into the center of action, as they work to fight against the respiratory illness. Pulmonology specializes in medicine, more specifically a subspecialty of internal medicine, which revolves around the respiratory system and its ailments. Pulmonologists focus on the treatment of illnesses in the lungs, airways, and other parts of the respiratory system.
The path to becoming a pulmonologist is long, but not impossible. It starts in a similar fashion to most other career choices: a traditional four years of college and a succeeding bachelor’s degree. A student looking to become a pulmonologist can major in anything during college, as long as they take the necessary prerequisites for medical school; these classes typically include behavioral sciences, biology, chemistry/biochemistry, physics, maths (calculus/statistics), and writing. During this time in college, pre-medical students also need to begin preparing for medical school
applications. With average acceptance rates of 7%, medical schools are the definition of competitive. Prospective medical students must submit their transcripts, letters of recommendation, and personal statements; additionally, they must take the initiative to volunteer, earn clinical and research experience, and prepare to take the Medical College Admission Test, otherwise known as the MCAT. This exam is used to test the knowledge of the student in different subject areas, such as physical sciences, behavioral sciences, and verbal reasoning. After taking this test and scoring a sufficient score, students can begin applying for the different medical schools that they are interested in. Medical schools typically hold a primary and secondary application, which is submitted after the first screening by the admissions committee. Once a student has succeeded past the secondary application, they are invited in for an interview so that their personalities and skills can be gauged in person.
Once a student is accepted into medical school, their skills are put to greater use as they begin to pursue a deeper, more profound understanding of science and medicine. The first two years of medical school are spent on taking different courses, such as anatomy, biochemistry, and pharmacology, as well as medical ethics, in order to refine their learning of those subjects. Students are also taught different skills that are necessary for a physician, such as examining patients and formulating medical histories. Finally, in the last two years of medical school, medical students apply their learned skills to real-life scenarios as they, under the supervision of professional physicians, begin to work with patients. Through this, students can begin to gain experience in diagnosing and treating illnesses.
At this point, most medical students have a clear idea of the field they want to specialize in. A student who plans to specialize in pulmonology must primarily apply for an internal medicine residency, which is a minimum of three years. After completing the residency, a resident planning to take further training to specialize in pulmonology must take the Internal Medicine Board Certification exam. Once they are certified, they can pursue further pulmonology training through a pulmonology fellowship which can typically take up to two years. During this time, fellows are given specific training in molecular biology, pulmonary physiology, and pulmonary immunology, in order to prepare them for their future as a pulmonologist. After completing a fellowship, doctors must take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to acquire the required medical license to practice medicine. Doctors also take the board certification exam for pulmonary medicine in order to officially become board-certified physicians.
After all of this is said and done, the college student, who used to dream of becoming a pulmonologist, overcome medical school, residency, fellowships, and several examinations, has become a board-certified pulmonologist who can practice medicine across the United States.
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Can pulmonologists also perform surgery on patients with these respiratory illnesses?