[Titchou]

No, actually once you graduate you can call yourself "doctor". And you don't have to do any residencies to set up shop. You do have to pass state boards but all states are not created equal. You just won't be "board certified" in a specialty. Why do you think we have so many crumby doctors out there? And so many law suits. How many doctors that you go to have you checked out their CV? Where they went to med school? how does that school rate in that specialty? Where they did their residency and any fellowships? Are those good ones? Have you check with the state medical board about his license? Law suits? Reprimands? I promise you that I have not gone to a doctor in many decades that I didn't check out from stem to stern first - based on what I learned from my ex and the people I met. Some of it would make your hair curl.

And when I say it is "my experience" I don't know how to better qualify it. Your experience is yours and mine is mine. They may differ but they are both still valid. Let me put it this way. My BIL is an endodontist. They live out of state but are easy to get to. I needed a root canal but they were on vacation. I called and asked if he knew any endos still in practice here. He didn't but one of his classmates was the chair of endo at the local dental school where BIL went. Said to call him and tell him who I was. I did. Told him the two endos my dentist suggested. He said "Doctor X will do you a good job." That told me all I needed to know. You have to check these folks out.

And this is all I have to say on the topic....