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What the requirements for a medicine course?

I feel my calling is in medicine, surgeon to be specific but I actually don,t do well at school. I'm wondering which subjects i should concentrate on to get to medical school after highschool?

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James Constantine’s Answer

Good Day Anthony!

Requirements for a Medicine Course

To pursue a career in medicine, particularly as a surgeon, there are several educational and academic requirements you need to meet. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of what you should focus on during high school and beyond:

1. High School Coursework:

Core Subjects: Focus on excelling in science subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. These subjects form the foundation of medical knowledge.
Mathematics: A strong understanding of Mathematics is crucial, especially in areas like statistics and calculus, which can be beneficial for understanding medical research and data.
English Language Arts: Proficiency in English is essential for communication skills, which are critical in medicine.
Social Sciences: Courses like Psychology or Sociology can provide valuable insights into patient care and the social aspects of health.

2. Extracurricular Activities:

Volunteering: Engage in volunteer work at hospitals, clinics, or community health organizations. This experience is invaluable for gaining insight into the medical field and demonstrating your commitment to healthcare.
Shadowing Professionals: Try to shadow doctors or surgeons to understand their daily responsibilities and the realities of working in medicine.
Leadership Roles: Participate in student government or clubs that promote leadership skills. Medical schools often look for candidates who have demonstrated leadership abilities.

3. Standardized Testing:

Prepare for standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT. High scores can enhance your college applications significantly.
After high school, you will need to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) before applying to medical school.

4. Undergraduate Education:

Choose a relevant major such as Biology, Chemistry, or Health Sciences during your undergraduate studies. While it’s not mandatory to major in these fields, having a strong science background will help you succeed on the MCAT and in medical school.
Maintain a high GPA (generally above 3.5) as medical schools are highly competitive.

5. Medical School Application:

After completing your undergraduate degree and achieving satisfactory MCAT scores, you can apply to medical schools through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) or similar services depending on your location.
Applications typically require letters of recommendation, personal statements detailing your motivation for pursuing medicine, and interviews.

6. Medical School Curriculum:

Once accepted into medical school, expect four years of rigorous training that includes both classroom education and clinical rotations where you gain hands-on experience.

7. Residency Training:

After graduating from medical school, you must complete a residency program in surgery which typically lasts between 5 to 7 years depending on the specialty.

In summary, focus on excelling academically in science-related subjects during high school while also engaging in extracurricular activities that demonstrate your commitment to medicine. Following this path will prepare you well for applying to medical school and ultimately becoming a surgeon.

Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used

American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC): Provides comprehensive information about medical education pathways including admissions requirements for medical schools across the United States.

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) – MCAT Information: Offers detailed guidelines regarding the MCAT exam structure, preparation resources, and its importance in the medical school application process.

National Institutes of Health (NIH): A reliable source for information about careers in medicine including educational requirements and insights into various specialties within healthcare professions.

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God Bless You, Richly!
James Constantine,
The Little Old Aussie Battler.
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Dr’s Answer

Hey Anthony! 🙌

I totally get the feeling of wanting to be a surgeon, but maybe not feeling super confident with school. The good news is, you can absolutely make it to medical school and become a surgeon with the right plan! Let’s break it down for you, and I’ll keep it motivational to help you stay focused. 💪

Requirements for Medical School
To get into medical school, there are a few key areas you need to focus on, even if school isn't your favorite thing right now:

Core Subjects:

Biology: This is a huge one! You’ll need to understand how the human body works, diseases, anatomy, and more. If you’re not enjoying it yet, consider breaking it down into smaller sections.
Chemistry: Understanding chemical reactions, especially biochemistry, is essential for medicine. It helps with everything from drug interactions to how our body processes things.
Physics: While not as directly connected to surgery, physics helps explain things like how tools work in surgery or how the body moves and reacts in certain situations.
Math: You don’t need to be a math genius, but some math (especially statistics) will help you understand medical data, dosages, and medical calculations.
English: Communication is key, and a lot of your work in medical school will involve writing and reading. You'll need to communicate clearly, especially when explaining complex medical info.
Grades & GPA: Medical schools typically look for a strong academic record, so it's important to focus on improving your grades, particularly in science and math. You don’t need straight A’s, but strong grades in these core subjects will make a big difference.

Extracurricular Activities: Medical schools love students who show an interest in the field outside of the classroom. You can gain experience by:

Volunteering in hospitals or clinics.
Shadowing doctors or surgeons (even better if it’s a surgeon you’re interested in).
Joining health-related clubs or getting involved in community health initiatives. This experience will give you a glimpse into what being a doctor or surgeon is really like and show schools that you're serious about this career.
Pre-Med Courses: After high school, most students take a Pre-Med program in college (this is the path most future doctors take). During Pre-Med, you’ll take courses like:

Advanced Biology and Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy and Physiology
Medical Ethics You’ll also start preparing for exams like the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), which is a huge part of getting into med school.
Strong Work Ethic and Persistence: The journey to becoming a surgeon is long and tough, so you’ll need determination, hard work, and focus. Don’t let challenges or setbacks throw you off. If you don’t do well in school right now, it’s okay. Just keep improving and find a study routine that works for you. Your perseverance is what’ll get you through!

Tips for Improvement (Even if School is Hard Right Now):
Study smarter, not harder. Find out what study methods work best for you—whether that’s using flashcards, watching YouTube videos, or joining study groups.
Get help when needed. Don’t be afraid to ask teachers or tutors for help in subjects like chemistry or biology.
Stay motivated with small goals. Focus on one subject or topic at a time. Celebrate small wins like mastering a tricky concept in biology or acing a quiz in chemistry.
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize:
It might seem like a big challenge right now, but getting to medical school is all about consistency. Every small step you take now, whether it’s studying a little more or volunteering at a clinic, will get you closer to that dream of becoming a surgeon.

And remember, it’s okay to start slow. There’s no rush—work your way up. Take it one step at a time, and eventually, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come. 🔥💥

I believe in you, Anthony! Go after that dream of being a surgeon. We are all here for you. You got this! ✨
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Rita’s Answer

I agree with the above. If you are not doing well in school, it will be very difficult to get into medical school. Even in medical school, the amount of studying is unbelievable. I thought of quitting because it was so much. Even to be a surgeon, you also need to do well in medical school. Perhaps your options are to take as many classes outside of school. Every summer, I would take classes on chemistry, organic chemistry, etc at a community college. You will also need to apply everywhere in medical school and probably go to a place that is less popular. I always recommend every person interested in medical school to work as a scribe. They pay you and you interact with doctors. Perhaps after going through this, you may realize you don't want to be a doctor.
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Scott’s Answer

Hi Anthony! Working in the medical field is a wonderful goal. After high school, there is no specific subject you have to study but there are certain math and science courses you need to take in order to be accepted to medical school. You mentioned you are "not doing well in school" and if that remains the same in college, it will be difficult to get into a medical school. I don't know what not doing well means, A's, B's, C's but just so you know you do not need to be a straight A student to get into medical school though it certainly does help. If academically, medical school is not in your future, there are many other rewarding fields in medicine you can explore which are not as academically rigorous. Good luck.
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Oishi’s Answer

Hi Anthony! If your dream is to become a surgeon, I highly suggest you develop study skills right now that you can carry forward with you in college and beyond. You will have to study immensely in college and medical school and even life long to keep up to date. See what mentoring and tutoring services are available to you to see if you can find the root cause of why you don't do well in school. There's no specific subject that you need to concentrate on in order to be a surgeon but most people choose a science related subject such as biology, chemistry, or human physiology. You can also study public health, biomedical sciences, or psychology. There's numerous other career options that fall under these subjects besides becoming a surgeon so I recommend you look into other options available to you as well.

Best of luck!
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Hwal’s Answer

Anthony,

If you meant that you don't get good grades when you said you don't do well at school, this could potentially, although not definitely, be a challenge. Let me share my perspective as a PA, though. I'm from Australia where the only way to learn and practice medicine is to graduate from a medical school and the PA profession as we know it doesn't yet exist. So, when I moved to the US I learned about PAs and, the robust medial training in PA school and the fact that I could start practicing sooner ultimately made me decide to become a PA and I'm content with the education and training I got because it prepared me well for practice. Becoming a PA is no easy task though, and I ultimately completed me than 100 credit hours of coursework over seven consecutive semesters. I would encourage you to consider becoming a PA, since PAs practice in every medical specialty and in every clinical setting, including surgery.

Here's steps to become a PA, posted on the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) website:

https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2018/08/6-steps-become-pa/

And here's a great website on everything PA, including pre-PA and PA student:

https://doseofpa.blogspot.com/?m=1

To address your concern/question, it would be possible to gain acceptance to PA schools without a perfect GPA and you can pass coursework and successfully complete training in PA school without maintaining perfect grades. But not unlike for medical school admission, getting accepted to PA school is very competitive. For the program that I attended, for example, the acceptance rate was less than 3% for my class. I would encourage you to think carefully about what career options you feel most strongly about. Let me know if you have any specific questions I can help with.

Hwal
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