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What are the necessary steps I need to take to become a pediatrician?

I'm asking this question because I want to help kids with their health field #kids #medicine #pediatrics #pediatrician #healthcare #hospital-and-healthcare

pediatrics pediatrician hospital-and-healthcare kids
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Sheila’s Answer

Hello Randy:

Thank you for your question. It's great that you want to look after our little people. I'm answering your question from a parent's perspective who has a son currently in residency as a Pediatrician. Here are a few points to consider on this long and expensive journey:

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 for financial aid early. This is extremely important. In the United States, 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 and confusing. 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/fafsautm_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 our list and my son got accepted into medical school immediately after college. There's no easy road on this path. I encourage you to work hard in high school and college and remain focused. Get a good support system and you'll do well. I hope this helps. Best of luck to you on your journey to becoming a Pediatrician.

~ Sheila

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
Review the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) site - -> https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/
Review the link on what you need to know about the MCAT - - > https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/article/preparing-mcat-exam/
Bookmark all the links provided in my post
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Richard’s Answer

In the US, to apply to medical school, you need a bachelor's degree. Any 4-year university should suffice.

Pick a major that interests you so you don't mind devoting a majority of your hours to studying. You will need to get good grades in college in order to apply for medical school. At the medical school I attended, the average GPA is reported to be 3.85, so even one or two B's can hurt your chances of acceptance.

Aside from this, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the prerequisite courses.

Typical medical school prerequisites include:
Biology: Lecture – 4 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
General Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Organic Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Biochemistry: Lecture – 1 semester
General Physics: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Math: Statistics – 1 semester
English: Rhetoric (Composition) and Literature – 2 semesters

Try to find opportunities to pursue research.

Volunteer at your local hospital or low-income clinic. Ask physicians, PAs or other clinical providers if you can shadow them.


During college study for and complete the MCAT. Devote an entire summer to studying for the MCAT and consider paying for a prep course if you can afford it.

My son used MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review 2019-2020: Online + Book + 3 Practice Tests (Kaplan Test Prep) Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep
Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc
It was about $140 and he achieved his goal score.



Apply to medical schools during your last year of college.

Medical school takes 4 years to complete.

After medical school pediatricians complete a residency for additional training. These last 3 years and are sometimes followed by additional years of fellowship subspecialty training.
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