What tips do you have for a student pursuing a medical career? (Do's/Don'ts?)

My tips for you are to really try to get as much experience as possible when you are in school. You will have clinical rotations, residencies, fellowships, etc. along the way depending on what you plan to do, but soak in as much as you can. All of the careers you are considering require a lot of studying, and in addition to classroom time, you will be spending long hours in hospitals and care areas as part of your education. If you want to party at college, these majors definitely make you less able to live the crazy college life (don't get me wrong, I had A LOT of fun and was very socially active, but there were saturdays that required studying, clinical rotations, and work, which many other types of degrees don't really understand.) I would recommend a volunteer job, nursing assistant job, or something that brings you into the setting so you have a better idea of what it is like. Don't be afraid to ask questions! You will have to do A LOT of studying. Find friends to help you and have study groups so you can hear everyone else's idea as well, which helps for understanding different concepts that yo might not have totally understood. Use whatever media you have to to make sure you understand. If you read about a procedure or concept and you don't quite get it, youtube almost always has a video you can watch to teach you visually. When you are in your clinical/residency rotations, do AS MUCH as possible, and even thought the first time doing anything on a person is terrifying, it's better to work out the kinks before you have a case load on your own. I am biased towards nursing, because I love it, but another thing you should do is to try to go through volunteer services and see if they will let you shadow different types of disciplines (MD, PA, NP, PT, OT, RT, etc..) The team approach is SO important and makes you more comfortable, and creates a safer environment for your patient. It is hard to use the team approach when you have no idea what the other disciplines work is actually like. I hope I answered some questions, but feel free to ask me more and I will answer whatever else you want!