Education Matters

Education and training matters

  • Physicians have 4 years of medical school followed by 3-7 years of residency in a hospital. Nurse practitioners attend 2-3 years of nursing school, and additional training is not required.
  • Physicians undergo 10,000-16,000 hours of hands-on clinical training, compared to 500-720 required hours for nurse practitioners. Through this training, physicians learn how to properly address a wide range of complex health care issues.
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