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How can I be sure that I want to pursue a career in the medical field or something related to that as a current sophomore high school student?

I have an interest in sciences like biology and psychology and math is one of my favorite subjects, but I'm not sure if I want to go with this as my future path.

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Jerel’s Answer

Hi Suzanna! It's great that you're already thinking about your future career path as a sophomore in high school. It's okay to not be 100% sure about what you want to do yet, and it's actually pretty common for high school students to be uncertain about their future career plans.

If you're interested in the medical field or related areas like biology and psychology, that's a great start. One way to explore your interest in the medical field is to get involved in extracurricular activities related to it. For example, you could volunteer at a hospital or clinic, shadow a healthcare professional, or participate in a health-related club at your school. This will give you an idea of what it's like to work in the medical field and help you determine whether it's the right path for you.

Additionally, you could talk to people who work in the medical field, such as doctors, nurses, or researchers. Ask them about their job duties, what they like and dislike about their job, and what education and experience they needed to get their job.

Remember, you don't have to have everything figured out right now. It's okay to explore different interests and career paths before making a decision. Keep an open mind and continue to pursue your passions. Good luck!
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Michel’s Answer

Great question one of the most important things to do to know if you are interested in a certain field is getting experience in it. A lot of people will work in medical like fields or ask community doctors to see what the day to day life is like. This can be very helpful that is one way. Another way you can do this is to volunteer in the field that you like spending time in the hospital will give you an idea of which aspects you like in the medical field whether that is nursing, physician related, radiology tech or administration. You are still early in the process and that is good that you are already thinking about this. A lot of hospitals will have some classes that you will need to take to make sure that you understand what HIPPA is so make sure to start when you can because the training can take a little bit of time. You are going to do amazing whichever field you decide you are interested in.
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Judith’s Answer

Just follow the career that you will enjoying. Do not study a career only for making money.
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wayne’s Answer

Your interest in biology, psychology and math are all good to have for pursuing a career in the medical field. It's great to be interested in helping others is a very honorable career path. Enjoying helping others and finding answers for the joy and satisfaction being able to help are the main reasons that I find people pursue this path.
The term 'Medical Field' is very broad. You can research the different careers online. Reaching out to Dr.'s or the human resources dept at your local hospital can give you valuable information about the different careers and what the responsibilities. Your guidance counselor is a great resource as well.
What's really important is to make sure whatever career you chose is to make sure you will enjoy doing it. We do our best work when we are satisfied and it seems less like a job.
Good Luck !!
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John H.’s Answer

One piece of advice I don't see in any of the previous answers is to definitely find a way to shadow someone in the health field. You really have to know if you can tolerate all the situations you might find in a hospital. Can you stand the sight of blood, deal with people who are experiencing extreme pain, help family members who have lost a loved one, deal with the long, long hours, are good in the sciences? There are many opportunities to volunteer in hospitals, so that might be your first place to look. Also, if you're checking out college programs, be sure to find out whether or not they have a strong pre-med program. Many colleges offer ways to shadow doctors and other health professionals. There is tremendous demand for people to enter the health field, so if you are so inclined, we need you!!
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Mary’s Answer

The best way to explore a career is to offer to volunteer in the career you are interested in. It may not be an exact match in what you want to do but it helps narrow down what you do and don't want to do. Try mentorships if available or write letters directly to a hospital/medical center or doctor's office and perhaps they will allow you to shadow someone for a day. Best of luck!
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Nathaniel’s Answer

The "Medical Field" is a pretty big field. You might just get a list of the different departments within a large hospital. If you have never heard of one you might just do some research and see what the department entails. What are your interests? Hopefully, it will be related to offering a service or assisting with procedures that give value to another's life. There are many volunteer positions that will give you the opportunity to get access to the field itself and connect with other like-minded people. Do you prefer to work alone or as a part of a team? How curious are you? The medical industry hasn't solved all the problems. I have a patient that is in sales with a medical equipment business. She assists doctors with the installation of her product into a patient in the operating room. She easily gets a 6 figure income and does a lot of traveling.
I began as a trainer for my HS football team. That lead me into health care as a corpsman in the Navy, to a surgical assistant, to assisting in the ER to nursing school, to becoming a director of a spinal cord rehabilitation facility to becoming a doctor of Chiropractic. My fascination was teaching patients how they could prevent some of the situations that bring people to the hospital. or making better choices with their health concerns. Good luck
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Vicente’s Answer

I am not personally in a medical career but what I did when I was younger was job showing. I went and spoke to people in the fields that I was interested in and figured out if it was possible for them to let me see what life was like for them and what they did on a daily basis. That helped me figure out really quick some of the things I was not interested in. I felt it was useful and often times gained alot of good knowledge from those people even if I decide that particular job was not for me.
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Keerthana’s Answer

Hi! As a current pre-med student in college, I was in a pretty similar place in high school, and that's okay! Healthcare is a broad field-- I would start by researching various careers within the healthcare field to see what you are interested in! To gain some more hands-on experience, maybe try volunteering with a local hospital or clinic to gain some experience working in a clinical setting. If that feels like your thing, consider being pre-med for college! If not, you can maybe try exploring research too-- which is an oftentimes underrated part of healthcare. If you like biology, chemistry, or data science, this may be your thing! If you and/or your parents know any healthcare professionals, consider speaking to them as well. The experts know about it best! Ask them questions about their day-to-day life to gain insight into what the career looks like. Altogether, I think the best way to decide whether or not something is for you is to try it out and do some of your own personal research into the fields you are interested in. High school is the perfect time to do this as you can do it in a low-stakes environment.
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Jyothi’s Answer

Hi Suzanna,
I am impressed that you are thinking about the field that you want to go into so early in your high school. I have a child who has chosen to go into the medical field. Self awareness is key and you are already reflecting on the subjects you like which is fantastic. Knowing your strengths and keeping an open mind to exploring different careers in the medical field is important. One way to do this is to talk to and shadow folks in these various fields. Camp Cardiac is a week long program that provides exposure to various professionals in the field.
The medical field is one you should go into if you want to help people. You can explore this by volunteering at a local hospital or organization. This will help you understand whether you like to interact with people and help them.
In high school there are ROTC programs where there is a medical pathway. This will give you exposure to the field while you get credit for the class.
YouTube is a great resource too.

Wishing you all the best in exploring careers. Remember life is a journey so enjoy it and don't forget to build relationships along the way.

Jyothi
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Nicole’s Answer

The “medical field” is huge and covers a massive range of different careers. Do you want to work directly with patients or work in an office or do research? Are you interested in a specific field like radiology, cardiology, neurology? Do you want to work with children or the elderly? Do you have an interest in specific disease processes like diabetes or cancer? Whatever field does interest you, find a local place that provides those services and ask if they allow students to shadow someone for better insight into the careers they encompass. You can also try talking to your high school counselor for help finding shadowing opportunities or simply how to find direction. And maybe ask about a career placement test to give you some ideas. You can try reaching out to a local college and ask if they have opportunities for high school students wanting more info on medical careers. Just look through all the majors and see if one or more grab your attention. Talk to people you know already working on the medical field. Maybe those conversations will reveal something you hadn’t thought about or move you in a more specific direction. You’re very smart to be looking now at your opportunities - good luck!
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JM’s Answer

You can google, " Careers with a _________ degree. And you will get multiple occupations with job descriptions and salary. You could put these on an excel spreadsheet and compare. You could go on various "forums sights for Biology Majors" like https://www.careeraddict.com/biology-degree-careers to see what they are saying about the field. You can volunteer at a hospital to speak to those in the medical field to see what they like or dislike about it. You can read about volunteering from here: https://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Candy-Striper. If you cannot go to the hospital, you can write to Nurse forums, DO forums, PA forums, BIOTech forums and ask them about their experiences. You can go on YouTube and see "A day in the life of a Biologist. Or OBGYN Doctor. You can look at the potential job market for your career. Go to: Employment Projections - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/emp/ This should keep you busy but will enlighten you on what others think about the fields you are interested in and if they are happy or frustrated.
Thank you comment icon Hey JM, admin here! I edited your answer to remove the portions that encouraged the student to pray to God. Although we support all religions, we also respect that some people may not be religious. In accordance with our community guidelines, it has been removed. Please let me know if you have any questions! Gurpreet Lally, Admin
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Eduardo’s Answer

It's great that you're thinking about your future career aspirations as a high school sophomore. Here are some steps you can take to explore your interest in pursuing a career in the medical field or a related field:

Research the medical field: Take some time to learn more about what a career in the medical field entails. Look up different types of healthcare professions and read about their roles and responsibilities. Talk to people you know who work in healthcare to get a better understanding of their experiences.

Volunteer or shadow: Consider volunteering at a hospital or clinic to gain firsthand experience in the medical field. You may also be able to shadow a healthcare professional to observe their work.

Take relevant classes: Sign up for science classes such as biology and anatomy to gain a better understanding of the human body and health. Consider taking elective courses that relate to healthcare or medical professions, such as health sciences or medical terminology.

Join extracurricular activities: Join clubs or organizations that relate to healthcare, such as a medical club or health advocacy group. This will allow you to connect with others who share your interests and may provide additional opportunities to learn and volunteer in the healthcare field.

Talk to your school counselor: Your school counselor can provide guidance on pursuing a career in healthcare and help you explore your options. They can also advise you on what courses and extracurricular activities would be beneficial for your career goals.

Remember, it's normal to feel uncertain about your future career path, and it's okay to change your mind as you learn more and gain new experiences. By exploring your interests and gaining experience in the medical field, you'll be better equipped to make an informed decision about your future career.
Thank you comment icon One way to explore your interest further is to shadow professionals in the medical field or participate in internships or volunteer opportunities. John
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Kimanu’s Answer

Are there any programs or workshops in your area or online where individuals speak about there fields of profession and give you an inside look to what they do in a field of your interests. Or possibly if they have a day where you could shadow somebody. Speak with your guidance counselor and see if there are any options like these available.
Thank you comment icon One way to explore your interest further is to shadow professionals in the medical field or participate in internships or volunteer opportunities. This can give you a firsthand look at what it's like to work in healthcare and help you decide if it's the right path for you. John
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Keith’s Answer

I was actually in the same boat as you are. My father was a vascular and thoracic surgeon which peaked my interest in the medical profession. I started by asking my father and his colleagues questions about course of study guidance and their thoughts on the current and future state of the medical profession. I also shadowed a few physicians. If you do not have family members or friends as physicians, I would start by researching various medical fields you would be interested in and reaching out to physicians within those fields and asking if they wouldn't mind sitting down for an interview. Let them know your interests and thoughts on becoming a doctor. Reaching out to those already in the profession and shadowing them are critical in knowing if that is right for you or not.
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Yikila’s Answer

Hi, if you are interested in the science subjects especially biology, your career could be medical oriented. But all i can say is; being in the medical field is loving your job, saving lives and assisting patients, morally and physically. So if you are or feel comfortable with the above stated, then go in for that and help mankind.
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Pamela’s Answer

Hi Suzanna,
First, remember that pursuing information on careers now does not commit you to anything for the rest of your life- you have plenty of time to decide what you want to do, and many people in the most interesting fields have changed their minds more than once (myself included!). So don't sweat the decision too much; keep thinking about it but also keep an open mind. Do take the time during school breaks to explore areas you are interested in to get a better feel for what you will be doing.
Some examples:
- Request brief interviews with people in these fields (pharmacists, doctors, nurses, etc). Ask them what their days look like, what are the pros/cons, etc. You can learn a lot in a 10-15 minute conversation. If you are shy about setting these up, your school guidance counselor or academic advisor, or even a parent can help you reach out.
- Volunteer in a nursing home, ER, or local clinic
- Shadow someone you know or your family knows in a field you are interested in
- Volunteer in a homeless shelter or food pantry to get an idea what it feels like to take care of people who truly need help. This can be uncomfortable for some and is a good way to explore how you feel about caring for strangers in need.
Hope this helped a little!
Pam
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Kimanu’s Answer

Try to find out if there are any mentorship programs in your area with people in the medical divisions. Speak with your academic advisor.or counselor to see if there are hospitals or medical facilities which allow shadow days or fellowships where you can get.a hands on look. There maybe an opportunity to combine all.three of your interest into one profession. Good luck
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Dr. Wendy’s Answer

Hi Suzanna,
I echo the advice provided by everyone in the previous replies. The medical field offers a plethora of career opportunities. Figuring out if you are a people person is probably the best first step to take. Then research those fields. It's okay if you don't get it right the first time. You can ask always change paths. Once you figure it out, find out the qualifications, job descriptions, examples of a 'day-in-the-life of your selected career, the curriculum to complete the education for the career, and lastly the payscale... you will be on your way. I have been an RN for over 20 years, but started off as an LPN. I worked in many roles and organizations. I now hold a doctoral degree in Information Technology! I join the medical organizations with their information technology needs.
I hope these posts help and best of luck to you!
-Dr. Cole
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