Career Pathways After Medical School

You can find the comprehensive listings of all medical and health doctoral professions (specialties and subspecialties) recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) through their official digital directories.

The major medical/dental/health accredited doctoral programs in the United States

·         Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)

·         Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)

·         Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.)

·         Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (D.M.D.)

·         Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.)

·         Doctor of Optometry (O.D.)

·         Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.)

·         Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)

·         Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)

·         Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

·         Doctor of Audiology (Au.D)

·         Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.)

1. ACGME Specialty List

The primary location for an alphabetized list of all recognized specialties and subspecialties is the ACGME Specialties page. This page lists all major specialties (i.e., Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, Surgery). Clicking on a specific specialty will take you to its dedicated section, which includes a list of its accredited subspecialties. Click HERE to access the ACGME Specialties page.

For a real-time, searchable database of every accredited program across all recognized professions, use the ACGME ADS Public Search tool. This tool allows you to generate reports by specialty or subspecialty, showing all currently active programs. The ACGME exclusively accredits Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).

2. AMA FREIDA Database

The American Medical Association (AMA) FREIDA database is a collaborative resource that lists over 13,000 residency and fellowship programs, all of which are ACGME-accredited. It provides a "View All Specialties" guide that categorizes these doctoral professions by their primary field of medicine. Click HERE to access AMA FREIDA database.

Dental doctorate professions are not listed under or accredited by the ACGME. While doctoral-level medical fields, they are governed by separate accrediting bodies:

3. Primary Accreditor: CODA

Dental specialties and residency programs are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), which is an agency of the American Dental Association (ADA). CODA oversees pre-doctoral (DDS/DMD) education as well as advanced dental education. 

4. Recognized Dental Specialties

The dental professions equivalent to ACGME-recognized medical specialties are instead recognized by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards. As of 2026, there are 12 recognized dental specialties: 

• Dental Anesthesiology

• Dental Public Health

• Endodontics

• Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology

• Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS)

• Oral Medicine

• Orofacial Pain

• Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

• Pediatric Dentistry

• Periodontics

• Prosthodontics 

5. The OMFS Exception

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) is the only dental specialty that frequently overlaps with ACGME. Some OMFS residents complete both a dental degree (DDS/DMD) and a medical degree (MD). Even in these cases, the dental portion of the residency is accredited by CODA, not the ACGME. However, the medical school component of their education is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). 

Other health doctorate programs

To find specialties, subspecialties and professions under O.D., D.C., D.V.M., D.N.P., D.P.T, Au.D., and O.T.D degrees, consult the independent governing accrediting body for each degree.

• Doctor of Optometry (O.D.): Accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE).

• Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.): Accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.): Accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education.

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.): Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

• Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.): Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

• Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.): Accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).

• Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.): Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). 

Career pathways for doctors vary significantly in terms of work environment, autonomy, and work-life balance 

• Working at Public Hospitals

  • Focus: Serving diverse and often underserved patient populations, including emergency and trauma cases. They also offer medical and humanitarian aid to underserved populations (i.e. Doctors without Borders, Mercy Ships)

  • Pros:

    • Steady income with a guaranteed salary and robust benefits package (health, retirement, etc.).

    • Less financial risk and minimal administrative burden related to running a business (billing, overhead, etc.).

    • Access to established patient bases and referral systems, as well as opportunities for career advancement within the hospital structure.

    • Opportunities to be involved in teaching and research, especially in academic public hospitals.

  • Cons:

    • Less autonomy over patient care decisions and organizational direction.

    • Potential for longer, less predictable hours (including night and weekend calls) due to 24/7 operations.

    • May experience bureaucratic hurdles and potentially lower pay compared to private practice over the long term.

• Working at Private Hospitals

  • Focus: Similar to public hospitals but often with more resources, a greater focus on specific service lines, and a different patient demographic.

  • Pros:

    • Financial stability with a steady paycheck and benefits, similar to public hospitals.

    • Access to advanced technology and a strong network of colleagues for referrals and support.

    • Can offer career advancement opportunities within integrated health systems (i.e. Kaiser Permanente).

  • Cons:

    • Limited autonomy and less voice in organizational policies and decision-making.

    • Potential for administrative tasks and bureaucracy inherent in large organizations.

    • Work schedules may still involve call and shift work, depending on the role and specialty.

• Setting Up Your Own Private Practice

  • Focus: Owning and operating an independent medical business, allowing for personalization of patient care and practice culture.

  • Pros:

    • Maximum autonomy in practice management, including setting hours, choosing staff, and selecting treatment approaches.

    • Higher long-term earning potential and the ability to generate wealth through business ownership (i.e., owning equipment or real estate).

    • Ability to build strong, long-term patient relationships and provide personalized care.

  • Cons:

    • Significant financial risk and substantial upfront investment for startup costs.

    • Heavy administrative burden, including billing, staffing, marketing, and regulatory compliance.

    • Potential for social and professional isolation without a built-in network of colleagues.

• Getting a Joint M.D./Ph.D. Degree to Practice Biomedical Research and Translational Medicine

  • Focus: A physician-scientist career path that blends patient care with intensive scientific research, typically seen in academic medical centers (university/hospital settings), research institutions (i.e. CDC, FDA, NIH), or executive positions at biopharma companies (i.e. Chief Medical Officer or Chief Scientific Officer).

  • Pros:

    • Unique role in advancing scientific knowledge and developing new therapies (translational medicine).

    • Opportunity to lead research teams and hold significant leadership roles in academia, government, or industry.

    • Intellectual stimulation from combining clinical problem-solving with scientific inquiry.

  • Cons:

    • Extended training period (typically 7-8+ years). But many MD/PHD holders skip medical residency and fellowship.

    • Clinical practice time is often limited in favor of research, which may not appeal to those who prefer extensive patient interaction.

    • Career advancement may depend heavily on securing research funding, or publishing findings.