4 answers
Joshua
Student
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Questions
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What do I have to do to become a doctor?
I am a high school student
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4 answers
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
266
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
To become a physician, starting from high school, you must
1) Graduate from high school with good enough grades to get into a respectable college/university
2) Graduate from college with excellent grades, including many courses that are deemed prerequisite to medical school, such as biology, chemistry, physics, calculus
3) Do well on the MCAT - the test one takes to demonstrate you have a broad enough knowledge base to do well in medical school
4) Apply to, and get into medical school or osteopathy school
5) Graduate from medical school
6) Complete a residency in your chosen field of medicine
Yes, this is a long road that includes hard work, but the career of constant learning to help others is highly rewarding. And, at any point along this journey you decide that it isn't the road for you, you would be well-prepared for many other healthcare careers that are less demanding, but are still wonderful.
1) Graduate from high school with good enough grades to get into a respectable college/university
2) Graduate from college with excellent grades, including many courses that are deemed prerequisite to medical school, such as biology, chemistry, physics, calculus
3) Do well on the MCAT - the test one takes to demonstrate you have a broad enough knowledge base to do well in medical school
4) Apply to, and get into medical school or osteopathy school
5) Graduate from medical school
6) Complete a residency in your chosen field of medicine
Yes, this is a long road that includes hard work, but the career of constant learning to help others is highly rewarding. And, at any point along this journey you decide that it isn't the road for you, you would be well-prepared for many other healthcare careers that are less demanding, but are still wonderful.
Elyse Crotty
Certified Surgical Technologist
80
Answers
Jacksonville, Florida
Updated
Elyse’s Answer
Get good grades now. Get into a good college and choose a major that makes sense (pre-bio, bio, chem, etc.). Start volunteering at a local hospital. Join a pre-med club at the college.
Paige Bentley
4th year medical student
1
Answer
Canton, Michigan
Updated
Paige’s Answer
Since you are in high school next steps for you will be:
1. Graduate with the best GPA you can!
2. Apply to colleges/universities with solid pre-med tracks
3. I would suggest majoring in biology, biomedical sciences, neuroscience etc so you can complete all of your pre-requisites
4. While in undergrad try to get involved in as many things as possible such as: campus pre-med fraternity or club, research projects, volunteering, honor societies. This helps to show medical schools that you have a strong interest in the field!
5. During your junior year you will want to start thinking about the MCAT. There are many resources available to aid in studying, but your university advisors can help with where to start as well. You will want to do well on this test as it is a big metric med schools look at for admission.
6. Graduate undergrad with a science GPA of at least 3.3 or greater and an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher - this helps you look more competitive.
7. Senior year is when you will apply to medical school if you plan to attend immediately after undergrad. You can apply to MD or DO programs depending on your interest (I'd recommend doing some research on both to help decide)
8. In med school you will master the science and learn to apply it in the real world through rotations your 3rd and 4th year. This is also when you will make a decision on a specialty.
9. In your 4th and final year of medical school you will apply to residency programs for your chosen specialty then go through the match to find out where you will do your final years of training as a physician!
It is a long, but extremely rewarding journey!
1. Graduate with the best GPA you can!
2. Apply to colleges/universities with solid pre-med tracks
3. I would suggest majoring in biology, biomedical sciences, neuroscience etc so you can complete all of your pre-requisites
4. While in undergrad try to get involved in as many things as possible such as: campus pre-med fraternity or club, research projects, volunteering, honor societies. This helps to show medical schools that you have a strong interest in the field!
5. During your junior year you will want to start thinking about the MCAT. There are many resources available to aid in studying, but your university advisors can help with where to start as well. You will want to do well on this test as it is a big metric med schools look at for admission.
6. Graduate undergrad with a science GPA of at least 3.3 or greater and an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher - this helps you look more competitive.
7. Senior year is when you will apply to medical school if you plan to attend immediately after undergrad. You can apply to MD or DO programs depending on your interest (I'd recommend doing some research on both to help decide)
8. In med school you will master the science and learn to apply it in the real world through rotations your 3rd and 4th year. This is also when you will make a decision on a specialty.
9. In your 4th and final year of medical school you will apply to residency programs for your chosen specialty then go through the match to find out where you will do your final years of training as a physician!
It is a long, but extremely rewarding journey!
Tahir Mehmood
IT Manager
31
Answers
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Updated
Tahir’s Answer
Becoming a doctor is an exciting journey in medical science. You start from school, move on to college, and then to university. In college, you get the chance to do an internship in the medical field, which is a great way to learn. After earning your degree, you can take specialized courses and then do a house job. This path is full of opportunities to grow and make a difference.