Education and Career Forum

hi.... i am studying in 11 cbse & preparing for medical ent. exams from aakash institute......... & i want to become a professor in medical field .........how can i become a professor in that field please help me guise........!!!

A college professor career is one of the most popular and competitive professions out there. This profession won’t make you rich; according to the American Association of University Professors the average salary is $79,439. But the perks of teaching college are awfully sweet. Most people with this career enjoy bargain basement tuition rates for family members, loads of time off and lots of freedom. "Besides teaching and office hours, I get to decide where, when and how I get my work done," Daniel Beckman, a biology professor at Missouri State University, told CNN. It’s no wonder that these jobs finished third in that network’s 2009 Best Jobs in America rankings (behind Systems Engineer and Physician Assistant). If you’re worried about how students now rate college professors, don’t be. If you work hard, you’ll be on the list with the positive reviews. If you’re thinking about applying for these education jobs, you may be wondering how to start on this career path. Becoming a college professor takes time and you'll need to meet certain education requirements before entering the field. These tips will help you learn how to become a college professor.

Most accredited four-year universities require that their professors have PhDs, though the requirements do vary depending on the academic discipline and institution. You’ll need to research what education is needed to work in your area. Studio art and creative writing faculty, for example, even at four-year universities, often hold MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degrees, rather than PhDs. Community colleges will hire instructors with master's degrees, though in the current tight job market many PhDs are applying for and accepting community college jobs that would, in flusher times, have gone to master's level candidates.

So what’s the bottom line? It’s a long road from high school to any kind of advanced degree, but believe it or not, high school is where teaching college starts. Graduating with a high grade point average, impressive SAT scores and a strong extracurricular resume are essential if you want to gain admission to a good college and become a professor. These are also the early requirements for this career.

It goes without saying that your undergraduate performance will make or break your chances for admission into a top-flight graduate study program. Graduating with honors should be a goal if you want to become a professor, as should doing well on the Graduate Record Exam (or GRE). That’s the SAT for aspiring grad students, which most institutions require applicants to take. To do this job, you’ll at least need a master’s degree, so you’ll most likely have to pass the GRE to start teaching college. Make the effort to research the best graduate programs and professors in your discipline of choice and apply accordingly. The university you attend and the instructors you work under may help you when applying for these jobs. Studying under, say, a leading marine biologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will improve your chances of becoming a college professor and getting tenured (more on that later) in a respected marine sciences department when you finish your advanced degree. That’s the kind of pay off you want after such a steep investment of time and money for meeting the requirements of this career.

Depending on the academic discipline, and your motivation and drive, earning a PhD can take three to eight years after your bachelor studies. The cost will vary based on the school, your academic specialty, the the number of years it takes you to complete the program and whether you’ve managed to secure financial aid. However, if you are interested in becoming a college professor, you should be fully prepared for the amount of education ahead. If you’re lucky, you might be offered a teaching or research fellowship, in which case your tuition and fees are waived—and you’re paid a small