How long is a residency?
Sarah Cherry
Updated on February 25, 2026
Once medical school has been successfully completed the graduate school experience begins in the form of a residency, which focuses on a particular medical specialty. Residencies can last from three to seven years, with surgical residencies lasting a minimum of five years.
How long is a typical residency?
The average length of residency training is about four and a half years. The shortest residency training programs are three years and the longest are seven.What is the shortest residency?
15 Shortest Residency Programs in the World
- Pathology: 4 years.
- Psychiatry: 4 years.
- General Surgery: 5 years.
- Orthopedic Surgery: 5 years (includes 1 year of general surgery)
- Otolaryngology (ENT): 5 years.
- Urology: 5 years (includes 1 year of general surgery)
- Plastic Surgery: 6 years.
- Neurosurgery: 7 years.
Is residency always 4 years?
Depending on the specialty, a residency may last from three to seven years. For doctors in internal or family medicine, residency is complete after three years. Such specialties as anesthesiology, dermatology, and obstetrics/ gynecology have four-year residencies.Is a resident a real doctor?
A resident doctor is a medical school graduate and doctor in training who's taking part in a graduate medical education (GME) program. Health care facilities commonly refer to resident doctors as "residents" and first-year residents as "interns".Medical School vs Residency Comparison
Do you get paid in residency?
Residents, believe it or not, actually get paid income and not just a small allowance. As a resident, your income tax will depend on how much salary you will receive.Is residency harder than med school?
Clinical grades are usually based on a curve such that only a small percentage of the class can earn them, meaning you have to outshine your colleagues. In this regard, medical school is much more stressful than residency. In residency, the pressure to outperform your peers is an order of magnitude lower.Where do doctors go after residency?
Once residency and fellowship trainings are complete, a person can become a board-certified attending physician. From the time of enrollment in medical school to board certification, it can take anywhere from seven to 14 years (or more) to become an attending physician.What's after residency doctor?
Once a resident finishes their residency, they are considered an attending physician. The attending physician is in charge of the whole medical team- including the residents, intern, and medical student.How much do resident doctors make?
The average medical resident is earning $64,000 annually, according to Medscape's Residents Salary and Debt Report 2021, an increase of 1% from the $63,400 they earned in 2020. Medscape's report also explored how prepared residents feel for the challenges of COVID-19.Which doctor has the easiest job?
The 6 least competitive medical specialties are:
- Family Medicine.
- Pediatrics.
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
- Psychiatry.
- Anesthesiology.
- Emergency Medicine.