What it is
Residencies and fellowships are not degrees — they're supervised, paid clinical training completed after a professional degree. A residency trains a new physician or dentist in a specialty; a fellowship adds subspecialty expertise afterward. This training is required to practice independently and to become board-certified.
The degrees & designations
Post-degree clinical training includes:
- Physician residenciesACGME specialties — family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, and many more
- Physician fellowshipsSubspecialties — cardiology, oncology, gastroenterology, critical care, and others
- Dental residenciesCODA-accredited — GPR, AEGD, orthodontics, oral & maxillofacial surgery, and more
- Pharmacy residenciesPGY1 and PGY2 (specialty)
- OthersPodiatric, veterinary, psychology, and PA/NP fellowships
Physician residency specialties — each with training length, subspecialties, and BLS pay:
Dental (CODA) specialties:
How long it takes
Residencies run about three to seven or more years depending on the specialty; fellowships add one to three years of subspecialty training.
What you study
Trainees provide supervised patient care with graduated responsibility, alongside didactics, research, and evaluations, working toward the competencies required for board certification.
Getting in
Requires the relevant professional degree (MD/DO, DDS/DMD, PharmD, etc.). Physicians typically enter through a match process (e.g., the NRMP Match); positions are competitive.
Cost & funding
Unlike degrees, residents and fellows are salaried employees — they earn a stipend rather than paying tuition. It's paid training, not a tuition-based program.
Where it leads
Completion leads to board eligibility/certification and independent, specialized practice. Fellowship adds recognized subspecialty expertise.
How it compares
Residencies and fellowships are post-degree training, not academic degrees. They follow a professional degree (like an MD or DDS) and are accredited by bodies such as ACGME and CODA.
Is it right for you?
This path applies to physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and other clinicians completing the specialty (and subspecialty) training required to practice.
Explore further
This is a reference guide. Keep exploring the education resource:
Key facts
- WhatPaid, supervised clinical training after a professional degree — not a degree
- Residency vs fellowshipSpecialty training, then optional subspecialty training
- LengthResidency ~3–7+ years; fellowship +1–3 years
- AccreditorsACGME (physicians), CODA (dentists), and others
- Leads toBoard certification and independent practice
Where to learn more
Keep exploring the K12 Academics education resource library: