noel
What classes should I be enrolling into in order to prepare myself to become a doctor?
I want to go into pediatrics or OBYGYN #doctor #medicine
4 answers
Hwal Lee
Hwal’s Answer
Noel,
It looks like you're interested in applying to medical schools. Although individual schools might have some differences, most schools require core science classes, and these might be helpful for you to take to prepare for future applications. They include general biology, general chemistry, and physics. Take a look at the prerequisite courses for some of the schools you think you might apply to in the future, so that you have a better idea. I hope this helps.
Good luck!
Hwal
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question, I notice it said PA-S under your name, what does that mean?
noel
Hey Noel, PA-S is for Physician Assistant student, since I'm in PA school. PAs are medical professionals who can assess patients, prescribe medications, order and interpret tests, and diagnose, treat, and monitor illnesses as part of a healthcare team.
Hwal Lee
Emmi Bane
Emmi’s Answer
Hi Noel! What a cool career choice. I'd like to encourage you to take some ethics courses. I may be biased (I am a medical ethicist!) but I think that the social aspect of medicine is equally important to being a good doctor. Medical Sociology courses, medical ethics courses, or medical anthropology courses will give you some perspective on treatment outside those generally taught in bio-medical courses, and that perspective will give you insight and experience that your peers may not have.
I also encourage you to take courses in genetics. Genomics are becoming increasingly important in the practice of medicine, especially with the populations you mention you would like to work with. A strong foundation in genetics will prepare you for the "personalized health" movement, and allow you to communicate patient risks and probabilities more effectively.
Read! Books will give you insights you would never otherwise access. I suggest "The Spirit catches you and you fall down," by Ann Fadiman, "The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot, and "Mama might be better off dead" (This is a tough one) by Laurie Kay Abraham.
Best of luck, rock on!
Richard A.
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
It was about $140 and he achieved his goal score.
Jared Cox
Jared’s Answer
The schools you are interested in applying to should have a list of their pre-requisite classes. It does depend on which type of doctor you want to be.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my question! How much schooling did you need to become an optometrist?
noel