I have always wanted to be a doctor. And in a year I'm going to college. But I don't know if I have what it takes. I'm smart in a different way...\nI go to the best high school of my city, but my grades aren't perfect...I'm terrible at math, and at the other subjects I'm just fine. I barely study for the tests, and I still get good grades...that should be good right? \nI've always wanted to be a doctor, but maybe I should study something else. \nI would like to know what skills are necessary.\nWhat do you think?
133175
If you've always wanted to be a doctor and you still want to be a doctor, then you should definitely pursue it.  You only need to take one year of college math as a prerequisite to medical school and you can get a tutor for that class if you're really bad at it. You can major in whatever you want and just take the required courses to get into med school: 1 year physics, 1 year chemistry, 1 year organic, 1 year biology, 1 year math, 1 year english (1 semester biochem and 1 semester genetics required by about 9 med schools).  You'll need to make sure your grades are high and your MCAT score is above average as well as staying active in other activities and being well-rounded. If it's always been your dream, then you should do it.  You are lucky that you know what you want to do.  Some people don't figure it out until they're 40 years old and then they feel it's too late to pursue their dreams.  You are young and know what you want.  Take advantage of this!
626870
1) Is not something unreachable, you can do it! The most important word is perseverance. If medicine is your passion, go for it, its wonderful. \n\n2) Biology, Genetics, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Calculus, Psychology, Economy, etc. Try to do any kind of science-research. And enjoy college, family and friends, because the hard thing about studying medicine is not the hard work you have to put into your studies  The hard thing is to learn how to overcome the frustrations and to make a balance between your every-day-life (family, friends, boyfriend or girlfriend, church, etc) and med-school.  (time-management --> very important) \n\n3)You can go to the MCAT page to see all the med-schools in your area.
616295
look at collegeboard.com for info on colleges\nthey should have info on med schools\n\nyou'll need a high gpa to even quality for most med schools (greater than 3.2, at least 4.0 preferred)\n\nscholarships and volunteering are all a big plus, but the main factor is your grades\n\nthe hardest part is after you get accepted, that you try to stay in.. its not easy
255394
First off, if you're really serious about becoming a doctor don't ever give up. There are multiple roads that lead to "doctorhood" (some which cost more than others) so don't give up just because of grades in the 1st semester. \n\nOkay. I think what you really need to decide is if you're going to give this track you're currently on, everything you've got. As long as you ace all your science classes and prove to your professors that you're serious about becoming a doctor 1st semester grades, which probably didn't have a lot of biochemistry in it, won't matter much. \n\nUnderstanding and getting A's in science isn't as hard as people think. It may be hard work, but it's not hard if you're committed to it and believe in what you're doing. You'll just have to change your life around. Study in groups instead of going out to socialize. Ask your teachers and counselors for help on how to be successful. Be earnest, honest and committed. \n\nThe only other thing is that if you find that you're struggling too much... you'll have to ask yourself if this is where you really belong.
578392
Yes, you CAN attend and finish medical school. The most important thing you must have is determination. \n\nGood luck, future Doctor:-)
536310
Of course you do.  Not even a question.\n\nFirst off, be sure you take plenty of English/Writing courses.  Nothing's worse than a scientist (or doctor) who can't write a sentence.  Believe me, grad schools in general and Med schools in particular are clamping down on this.\n\nSecond, look at the entrance requirements and application suggestion for top colleges. You need to make sure you continue the correct curriculum, including math, science, English, foreign language, etc.\n\nThird, try to do extra-curricular activities.  Try to get into leadership positions - at work, at a religious organization, volunteering.  Top tier college eat that crap up.\n\nDo your homework.  Check out the college websites and applications - most are on-line.  See what they want in their essays and course curriculum, and make sure you take those course throughout high school.  And it is true, absolutely true, the best doctors come from the best med schools, who only take the most gifted undergrads from the most prestigious colleges, who are very discriminating regarding their freshman class.  So do not stop working hard.\n\nOn the other hand, there are thousands, maybe millions of people out there who screwed around in high school and now would sell their souls to Satan to have had your insight at your age.  If you want to go to med school, you will go.
491272
Good grades and other extracurricular activities are a necessity...but you also have to score well on the medical school assessment test (MCATS).\nYou should also be aware that medical schools only have a limited # of openings in every class so they get to pick from a very big pool of "qualified" candidates.
604891
Wow, this is an angry dentist hatin' bunch. We did take all the med school classes freshman year of dental school. (Anatomy, Histology, Pathology, Biochem) But in addition to all of their classes we also had labs. (operative lab to learn how to do fillings, denture lab, perio lab, etc). So maybe the physicians like to joke we were too dumb to get into med school, but our curriculum was acturally more difficult. \nThere was enough material taught in dental school to cover 4 full years of classes. Also, the manual dexterity required for dental is pretty tough to learn. We start seeing patients after the 2nd year.of school in addition to the conitnued full class load. Even after the 4th year of school most dental students are still only so -so clinically. Kind of scary when you think these guys and girls are going out into the world. By the way, what do you call the guy who graduates last in his dental school class? \n\nDoctor. \n\nSo anyway there's enough crap you have to learn that it really does take all that time. We don't learn all the medical stuff they teach about the rest of the body. That's what the med students start with after they finish their freshman year. Hard to believe that there is that much to learn about the mouth.
93624
What are you talking about. Study what you feel you would be good at and could live with doing for a while.
396376
You have a long way to go before worrying too much.  Get into college first, do well in undergrad.  Get into med school.  There is a long way ahead of you, and you have to make sure this is what you really want.  Honestly, not having all A's in 10th grade won't bar you from med school.  I know people that got B's in some Biology courses that got into med school just fine and are well on their way to being doctors.  But Undergrad is generally a lot harder than High School, and Med School is infinitely harder than undergrad, so if you're struggling with straight A's right now, just think what it will be like to struggle for straight A's in college.  I'm not trying to discourage you, but there is a lot to do before you're really ready to become a doctor.  After high school the next 12 years of your life are devoted to becoming the best damn doctor you can be.\n\nThe 12 years after high school are generally, 4 years of undergrad (Pre-Med), 4 years of Med-School, and mostly 4 years of a residency, depends on the specialty.  The undergrad years are generally your most fun, but are still crucial.  Now I don't want you to be a naive little gunner and overwhelm yourself like most pre-meds, so watch out for scheduling yourself to do too much (volunteering at the hospital, trying to do some extra research, taking too many hard classes at once, doing shadowing rotations).  And while you are doing extra curriculars, make sure you're making them worthwhile, like if you're shadowing a pediatrician, ask them as many questions as you can without coming off annoying.  Just do your best in these years, and keep your GPA high and study as much as you can for the MC AT (Expect to study up to 6-8 hours a day).  Then once you do get accepted into a med-school, prepare for the first stage of hell.  It will involve constant studying, with maybe a few hours A WEEK for fun, and not much time for you to have a fun life.  A residency is your next step, and once you're there, you will spend time running around the hospital picking up as much info as you can on how to become a pediatrician.\n\nJust don't buy into all the glam our of the life of a doctor, you might change your mind about becoming one, or might change your specialty, or who knows.  There is a lot of work ahead of you kid, and I wish you the best of luck, but make sure you have your wits about you, and actually understand the profession inside and out.  And understand that you'll end up in debt most likely, and that family life will be really hard while in med school.  Realize that malpractice insurance comes with the job, and that not just bad doctors get sued.  Becoming a pediatrician is one of the most prestigious careers you can choose, but it comes with so many hardships that anyone who is too weak will be sorted out very quickly, make sure you know what you're in for, and that you're strong enough to make it.  Best of luck.
275257
Well.. I am in med school- I did it the "traditional" way--- took all my science courses, majored in chemistry, blablabla.  But some of my best friends in medical school have been sociology majors, english majors, psychology majors, and I am sure there might be a philosophy major in there somewhere (but can't think of any off hand).  As far as scores go, there really isn't any difference in who does the best on the tests based on college area of study--- it just depends on how hard you study.  That's it.  Your undergrad classes don't predict nor do they fully prepare you for how hard medical school science courses will be.  Therefore, if you have a passion such as philosophy, I say, pursue it.  Once you begin medical school and pracitice medicine, it will consume your life and you will have little time for those passions.\n\nI also believe a good doctor is more than the some of his parts or the grades she made on exams.  You must be able to relate to people, treat the patient and not just the disease.  Empathy, sympathy, and understanding cannot be taught.  If you want to go to medical shcool, great.  Make good grades in college, be sure to take AT LEAST the minimal amount of science courses needed (ask your advisor or med school if you're unsure) and do really  well in those classes (all your classes really-- and the MCAT).  But major in wahtever you want, whatever makes you happy and whole.  Whether your passion is philosophy, astrophysics or molecular biology.  Study it and study the heck out of it.  Get involved in your community and the medical field early on.\n\nWill studying philosophy make you a better doctor?  No, not necessarily.  But if it's something you're passionate about and you pursue your passion while also completing the basic requirements, I think you will be better for it.  By studying something that interests you outside of science/medicine you iwll become more well-rounded and learn to look at htings in different ways. So go for it. You'll never get another chance like the persent to do so.\nHowever, if you have no desire to study philosophy then, it probably won't make you any better- so don't waste your time, find something else instead.
359995
I must admit I was ready to shoot you down (as a couple of others have done)  after reading the first part of your question but I wont coz the second part was more reasonable! lol\nYou are studying good subjects.  Get more detailed advice from a Careers tutor or look at Uni's that do medical degrees and see what they are asking for.  I cant tell you as I dont have a medical degree and dont plan on getting one coz Im too old now ;D\nGood luck, Im sure you will do well, you have a good solid grounding at the moment and im sure you will build on that.
472784
My daughter didn't know what she wanted to do after graduating high school, so spent the next year working in a resort community. After getting to know the police officers there, she started to look into being a police officer. She's now close to graduating from college, and is attending the police academy. What I'm saying is that many kids don't know what they want to be until they get involved with something. Then, their natural talents kick in, and they begin to realize what they're good at. So, look at your talents. What are you really into? What feels more like fun than work? I think it's great to hear someone say that they get to work at what they love and ,oh by the way, they get paid to do it too! When you're excited about your job, you know that that's where you need to be. Whether that's waitressing or wheeling & dealing with corporations, enjoying your job is much better for you all around. Of course, having ANY job now days is better than nothing. I guess you need to look at the reasons behind you wanting to transfer. Don't just go to a college because of where it's located. That can get boring really quick. Look at what they have to offer. Also, look at your own talents. Line up what you have with what these colleges have to offer and see what sticks out. If your grades have been really decent, most colleges would be glad to have you. If your grades weren't so hot, you might consider going to a tech school, and get trained for a specific trade. It's cheaper and quicker. Hope you have much success in your career choice. <*)))><
647583
medical school is a TON of work.  are you ready for that?\n\notherwise, you should do what you think you WANT to do, not what you think you CAN do.
288136
I would suggest that you improve your spelling and grammar before you consider applying for a university.\nAlso try reading what you have written. You won't get to be a doctor unless you can understand the language and are fluent in it.
412141
Becoming any type of doctor takes a lot of work. Normally you will do about 12 years of schooling, starting at regular 4-year college/university. Doctors don't take home a wage, but a salary and depending where you're at in your career will depend. But most doctors make good money, but there are long hours.
413767
I actually have a big problem when it comes to school myself. Im actually very intelligent, (sorry for flaunting it hehe)  but I have a problem with work ethic. As a result, my grades are suffering and Im underachieving tremendously. I gathered from this rather qucikly that school is what you make it...and getting good grades seriously enhances the overall experience.\n\nSo I would say grow a pair and study/do homework..believe me, life is alot easier when you get good grades