Physicians are professionals who diagnose and treat illnesses and diseases. The path to becoming a physician or surgeon involves four years of medical school. Employment of medical school graduates such as physicians and surgeons is projected to climb 22 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is fitting in Michigan, where health care remains a top industry in cities such as the capital Lansing, according to City-Data.com. Average salaries for physicians in Michigan in 2010 were $97,000, reports Indeed.com. Three universities in Michigan prepare students to enter the growing medical field.
M.D. Programs
At the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, a clinical simulation center gives students hands-on experience with adult and child models in areas such as vascular intervention, birthing and endoscopy. The first two years of medical study at the university allows students to build relationships with patients who have chronic illnesses, and students in their third and fourth years learn how to take care of patients. Students also learn how to diagnose illnesses, communicate this information and perform physical exams.
Classes in the first two years of medical school at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit cover topics such as gross anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, respiratory treatment and clinical nutrition before students move on to clinical practice. Students at the community-based medical school at Michigan State University in East Lansing complete clinical practice at various campuses through affiliations with physicians and hospitals.
Ph.D. Programs
Medical schools in Michigan also offer doctoral programs in a wide variety of areas such as pharmacology, human genetics, immunology and biophysics. Students additionally can choose to study neuroscience or even cellular and molecular biology, according to the University of Michigan. These doctoral programs prepare students for careers in teaching and research. Basic science Ph.D. programs at Michigan State University include biochemistry, microbiology and physiology. Wayne State University Ph.D. programs additionally include medical physics. Graduate certificate and master's degree programs are available at Michigan medical schools as well.
Residencies
Residency programs at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan are available in a large number of areas including anesthesiology, family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine and dermatology. Other Michigan medical school residencies focus on pediatrics, physical medicine/rehabilitation, psychiatry and general surgery, according to the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. These types of residency programs last at least two years and are available for doctors who seek board certification in a specialty through the American Board of Medical Specialists or the American Osteopathic Association.
Fellowships
Fellowship opportunities in fields such as general medicine, neurosurgery, psychology and radiology also are available for doctors who want to train in a sub-specialty, reports the University of Michigan. Other fellowships include neonatology, infectious disease, endocrinology, cardiology and hematology/oncology, according to Michigan State University.
Multi-Degree Programs
Michigan medical school students additionally can combine a medical degree with another professional degree in an area such as dentistry, nursing, social work, public health, law or even business, according to the University of Michigan. Michigan State University students additionally can take both medical school and graduate school courses in a combined M.D./Ph.D. program that results in a Ph.D. in biomedical research. Similar combined programs at Wayne State University are available in areas such as anatomy and cancer biology.
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