But their education is far from complete.
Residency is the time when they learn the comprehensive responsibility of the physician.
Some medical graduates do not immediately enter a specialty residency program but instead take a transitional year of training designed to give them additional experience in general medicine or surgery. These programs are usually precursors to residencies in specialties like dermatology, ophthalmology, neurology, and others. Residencies can last anywhere from three to seven years, depending on the specialty. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education approves several thousand programs nationwide. Physicians must complete a residency program in order to become certified in a given medical field.