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Kyleigh
Student
Athens, Texas
1
Question
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What if they don't let me into medical school because I didn't take any medical-related classes in high school?
What if I wanted to apply to med school and didn't take any medical related classes in high school, would that stop me from being accepted? What should I do if it does stop me? Because I'm a junior in high school and I'm kinda worried about my future.
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2 answers
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach, Mentor
1238
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Kyleigh,
It's great that you want to be a doctor! Admission to medical school is certainly competitive, but there are many different paths to get there. Your high-school options or choices can be helpful to prepare you for college, but they won't be a factor in your application to medical school.
In order to become a medical doctor, you first need to earn a bachelors degree (4 years) in any field. Next you take the MCAT before you can apply to medical school. Medical school is another 4 years and you'll earn your MD or DO. You then decide on a residency where you specialize and ultimately take the board exam for that specialty. So, it's a long journey, and each step is competitive. You'll need excellent grades and a high MCAT score as well as medical experience and volunteer hours.
Since you are still in high-school, you should take all the science and math classes you can get (biology, chemistry, physics, math) to be well prepared for college. If your high-school offers classes related to health such as psychology or anatomy, you should take those as well. But if they are not offered or if you just want to take other classes, that's fine too. It's good to take on challenging classes like AP to boost your GPA. You can also consider a dual enrollment program to earn college credits if it is available.
In order to get into a good undergraduate program and later into medical school, you also need to start getting experience in medical settings and volunteering in the community. People get medical experience in a variety of ways. You can look for shadowing opportunities if you want to consider different medical specialties. You can look for internships, volunteer opportunities or small jobs in e.g. hospitals or with doctors (even if it is just as a receptionist). There are also certifications such as CNA, EMT or phlebotomy that would allow you to work medical jobs while you are in school. Some people also work in a medical job for a few years before they go for a bachelor degree.
You can major in any field for your bachelors degree. Consider your interests, your career goals but also look at your undergraduate degree as a backup plan in case medical school doesn't happen (because life happens). Many students opt for a biology, chemistry or biochemistry major because it would cover most if not all of the science pre-requisites. Just be aware what the pre-requisites are and that, should you opt for a non-science major, you might need longer to graduate because you might need to take extra classes. Look up medical schools that you would consider and check their admission criteria and pre-requisites so you have the correct information. I left a link for Harvard medical school as an example below.
During your undergraduate studies, you should also get in more medical experience and (if possible) research experience. It doesn't have to be medical research, but being in any science department certainly helps to get involved in meaningful projects.
Before you can apply to medical school, you need to study for and take the MCAT. You can take the test during your junior or senior year. Many students also take a gap year after their bachelors to study for the MCAT and get some more work experience, either clinical or in research. If you opted for a non-science major, a postbac program to complete the science pre-requisites is an option.
If you get admitted to medical school, you'll study general medicine for 4 years. There is no need to know from the start which specialty you want to go for. The first 2 years are mostly classroom learning while the last 2 years are clinical and include rotations through different specialties. You'll then decide on a specialty that you want to pursue and apply for residency in that specialty hoping to "match". Typically, residencies last between 3 and 7 years depending on your specialty. Some people do a fellowship following residency to further specialize.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
https://hms.harvard.edu/education-admissions/md-program/admissions
https://hms.harvard.edu/education-admissions/md-program/admissions/preparing-apply/prerequisite-courses
It's great that you want to be a doctor! Admission to medical school is certainly competitive, but there are many different paths to get there. Your high-school options or choices can be helpful to prepare you for college, but they won't be a factor in your application to medical school.
In order to become a medical doctor, you first need to earn a bachelors degree (4 years) in any field. Next you take the MCAT before you can apply to medical school. Medical school is another 4 years and you'll earn your MD or DO. You then decide on a residency where you specialize and ultimately take the board exam for that specialty. So, it's a long journey, and each step is competitive. You'll need excellent grades and a high MCAT score as well as medical experience and volunteer hours.
Since you are still in high-school, you should take all the science and math classes you can get (biology, chemistry, physics, math) to be well prepared for college. If your high-school offers classes related to health such as psychology or anatomy, you should take those as well. But if they are not offered or if you just want to take other classes, that's fine too. It's good to take on challenging classes like AP to boost your GPA. You can also consider a dual enrollment program to earn college credits if it is available.
In order to get into a good undergraduate program and later into medical school, you also need to start getting experience in medical settings and volunteering in the community. People get medical experience in a variety of ways. You can look for shadowing opportunities if you want to consider different medical specialties. You can look for internships, volunteer opportunities or small jobs in e.g. hospitals or with doctors (even if it is just as a receptionist). There are also certifications such as CNA, EMT or phlebotomy that would allow you to work medical jobs while you are in school. Some people also work in a medical job for a few years before they go for a bachelor degree.
You can major in any field for your bachelors degree. Consider your interests, your career goals but also look at your undergraduate degree as a backup plan in case medical school doesn't happen (because life happens). Many students opt for a biology, chemistry or biochemistry major because it would cover most if not all of the science pre-requisites. Just be aware what the pre-requisites are and that, should you opt for a non-science major, you might need longer to graduate because you might need to take extra classes. Look up medical schools that you would consider and check their admission criteria and pre-requisites so you have the correct information. I left a link for Harvard medical school as an example below.
During your undergraduate studies, you should also get in more medical experience and (if possible) research experience. It doesn't have to be medical research, but being in any science department certainly helps to get involved in meaningful projects.
Before you can apply to medical school, you need to study for and take the MCAT. You can take the test during your junior or senior year. Many students also take a gap year after their bachelors to study for the MCAT and get some more work experience, either clinical or in research. If you opted for a non-science major, a postbac program to complete the science pre-requisites is an option.
If you get admitted to medical school, you'll study general medicine for 4 years. There is no need to know from the start which specialty you want to go for. The first 2 years are mostly classroom learning while the last 2 years are clinical and include rotations through different specialties. You'll then decide on a specialty that you want to pursue and apply for residency in that specialty hoping to "match". Typically, residencies last between 3 and 7 years depending on your specialty. Some people do a fellowship following residency to further specialize.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Karin recommends the following next steps:
James Garvin
Staff Curriculum Developer at Okta, Inc.
37
Answers
Littleton, Colorado
Updated
James’s Answer
Medical schools pay attention to what you achieve in college. Most high schools don't offer many medical-related classes, but that's okay. Medical schools like to see students with a mix of interests. You can study anything you love, like English, history, or computer science. Just make sure to finish the required science courses and do well on the MCAT before you apply.
Focus on College Prep: Right now, your main goal is to secure admission to a four-year college or university where you can build a strong undergraduate GPA.
Plan Your College Science Track: When you start college, you will typically need to complete standard undergraduate prerequisites like general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics.
Explore Alternate Routes: If you decide later that you want a career in healthcare but your undergraduate science GPA needs work, post-baccalaureate programs exist specifically to help students bridge that gap.
James recommends the following next steps: