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Community college to medical school

# #premed # communitycollege #college #medicine

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Angela D.’s Answer

Greetings! This is a great question. I'm going to provide a real life example. My son went to a community college for two years to complete his lower division prerequisites, then transferred to the University of California to complete a double major in genetics and biology. While he was waiting to get into UCDavis, he trained and worked as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). His GPA (grade point average) and his MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) scores were important, as well as his work experience, community service, research, and shadowing. If you don't want to get an M.D., you can also consider a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree or P.A. (Physician Assistant) degree. I would suggest researching all avenues open to you, including an R.N. (Registered Nurse). Be careful of international options and check them out carefully. Talk with your school counselor and keep in touch with your academic counselor(s) after you graduate high school to stay on track. Please see below.
FYI - My son is currently completing his residency to become a rural general medicine doctor. He also became an Army National Guard Reserve Captain/Field Surgeon in a Medical Unit who also teaches/trains others. A way to help pay for medical school and serve our country/service people.
Wishing you the best, Dr. B

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/articles/how-to-make-sure-you-fulfill-medical-school-requirements-for-admission

Angela D. recommends the following next steps:

Online Research
Work Experience
Community Service/Volunteering/Shadowing
Medical Research if available
Thank you comment icon Thank you. This was very helpful Kimberly
Thank you comment icon Wonderful! Angela D. Blaver (Suissa), Ph.D.
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Stuart’s Answer

One of my best friends went to NOVA (Northern VA Community College), where he finished high school, and got his HS diploma and his AA. He then went on to a four-year college to get his BS. After being denied entry into med school directly out of college, he continued to study for the MCAT and received his masters in health. He then was admitted into medical school, and now is an ER doctor. The moral is, that there are many different paths to meet your goals. Keep your nose to the grindstone. Keep pushing. My friend overcame many obstacles and people who said, "no," to him, but now, after much study and hard work, he is working his dream job. You can do that as well. Never give up.
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Estelle’s Answer

Community college is a great place to start to save money and have a strong GPA. Good luck!
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Fluvia’s Answer

Hi Helal,
I highly recommend community college for your prerequisites. It is a more affordable choice. Especially if you are looking to purse a medical career. Make sure you work with counselors to ensure all your classes are transferable to another college so you can earn your BS.

Good luck!
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Chris’s Answer

I am not aware of too many Community Colleges that offer a BA / BS program. Therefore, I would recommend that you plan on completing as many courses as possible through the Community College and then transferring to a University that will allow you to graduate with a BA / BS. You will need one of these to apply to Med School along with an MCAT test. Talk to your counselor at the Community College to determine what classes will transfer to the University you are interested in (they may have a list or a website you can check to ensure you are not taking courses that will not transfer.) Do your best to get the best grades possible, this will help you with scholarships and it will also help your GPA when you transfer. All of the Community College Classes that you can transfer to a University will be included in your GPA. Med School is very competitive so the better your GPA, the better your chances. Good luck!
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