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What steps do I need to take in order to get into medical school?
I'm a 16 year old in a big city filled with opportunities. My current goal is to get into a college that specializes in medicine to later get into a medical school. #healthcare #medical-school
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Abu If you’re already sure you want to be a doctor, you might consider a BS-MD program in college, which combines undergraduate school with medical school, giving you both your bachelor and medical degrees. These programs reduce the time of earning your bachelor's degree and then applying to Medical school, work with your schools advisor as requirements vary from program to program. The benefit of these programs is they usually offer guaranteed admission to medical school after the third year of college. As you can imagine, these programs are popular among students who are sure medicine is the field they want to major in. Because of this, the colleges that offer these programs can be highly competitive.
To prepare for a pre-med major, you must take the right courses in high school. These include the sciences, such as physics and chemistry; math, including calculus and statistics; and even English. Pursue a rigorous combination of AP, Honors or IB courses and strive for the highest grades possible. You'll need a strong GPA, high standardized test scores, and will also have to prove your interest in medicine by writing an essay or attending a special interview. These programs are not for everyone. You will have to commit to academic excellence because you will be completing your prerequisites for medical school in just three years. You will need to have your priorities in place and be prepared to sacrifice some of the normal college experiences in order to focus on your academics. If you have any doubt, it would be better to enroll in a normal pre-med program and take the time to discover whether or not medicine is the right field for you.
Hope this is helpful for you to stay on the right track towards your career in medicine Abu.
See if a local hospital, medical facility, or ambulance company in your community accepts high school volunteers. Volunteering gives you the opportunity for patient contact and helps you decide whether or not medicine is something you want to pursue. Medical schools look for students who have shown an interest in medicine during high school.
You can also sign up for a summer medical program for high school students or high school internship at a hospital or medical facility. These programs will give you exposure to the world of medicine and also the opportunity to work with medical professionals. Colleges such as Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown and many others offer summer programs that introduce students to the medical field. Some hospitals, such as Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, also offer summer internships or research opportunities for high school students.
To prepare for a pre-med major, you must take the right courses in high school. These include the sciences, such as physics and chemistry; math, including calculus and statistics; and even English. Pursue a rigorous combination of AP, Honors or IB courses and strive for the highest grades possible. You'll need a strong GPA, high standardized test scores, and will also have to prove your interest in medicine by writing an essay or attending a special interview. These programs are not for everyone. You will have to commit to academic excellence because you will be completing your prerequisites for medical school in just three years. You will need to have your priorities in place and be prepared to sacrifice some of the normal college experiences in order to focus on your academics. If you have any doubt, it would be better to enroll in a normal pre-med program and take the time to discover whether or not medicine is the right field for you.
Hope this is helpful for you to stay on the right track towards your career in medicine Abu.
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Karen’s Answer
Hi Abu,
If you are interested in pursuing a career in medicine in the future, I would suggest taking the following steps now. First, be sure to take challenging math and science classes in high school. As a pre-med and med school student, you will be taking many math and science courses, and you will want to ensure that you enjoy and do well in these classes. Taking these courses in high school will also help you get into a college with a good pre-med/health sciences program. You may want to begin researching schools now to see which schools you want to apply to. You won't necessarily go to the same school for college and med school. For example, I went to a liberal arts college with a strong health sciences program. Students who were pre-med took the MCATs and then applied to medical schools in their junior or senior year of college. During college, you may want to consider doing an internship, senior project, or volunteer work in a hospital. This will help you to explore your interests and may also help you with admission to med school. Good luck!
If you are interested in pursuing a career in medicine in the future, I would suggest taking the following steps now. First, be sure to take challenging math and science classes in high school. As a pre-med and med school student, you will be taking many math and science courses, and you will want to ensure that you enjoy and do well in these classes. Taking these courses in high school will also help you get into a college with a good pre-med/health sciences program. You may want to begin researching schools now to see which schools you want to apply to. You won't necessarily go to the same school for college and med school. For example, I went to a liberal arts college with a strong health sciences program. Students who were pre-med took the MCATs and then applied to medical schools in their junior or senior year of college. During college, you may want to consider doing an internship, senior project, or volunteer work in a hospital. This will help you to explore your interests and may also help you with admission to med school. Good luck!