Hello Marlene: I'm answering this question from a parent's perspective who has a son as a resident Pediatrician. Here are a few items for you to consider on this long and expensive journey to become a Pediatrician:

1) Make good grades in college to help you get into medical school. Prepare years in advance 

2) Score well on the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) Exam. Retake the exam if necessary

3) Apply to "all" the medical schools you are interested in. Rank the schools from highest to lowest. Keep in mind that you may get put on a "wait list" for acceptance to medical school. If so, this could take a number of years and then you may be competing all over with new applicants

4) Apply to financial aid early. Make sure you keep good records during this time when applying for financial aid because the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) systems work together and could be quite cumbersome

Applying to financial aid was one of the most stressful time for us. . . I'm so happy that part is over

FAFSA:

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa?utm_source=cpc&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=201920bff&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv5ephs634AIVUuDICh0vcwk2EAAYASAAEgKYB_D_BwE

Of course there are many other things to consider but, from the outside looking in these things were high on the list.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck to You!

Sheila recommends the following next steps:

• Keep good records when completing the FAFSA because the data you enter on the application is pulled into the IRS system https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa Save
• Review the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) site https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/ Save
• Review the link on what you need to know about the MCAT https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/article/preparing-mcat-exam/ Save
• Bookmark all the links provided in my response Save