4 answers
Samruddhi
Student
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
3
Questions
Asked
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What can I do to save years in college to become a doctor?
I am a high school student interested in pursuing a career in ophthalmology. I would like to complete my Pre-Med in 2 years, and I want to explore if there are any opportunities to do Med School in 3 years (condense the first 2 years and then rotations).
I'm a high school sophomore, so what summer classes/courses can I take to save years in college? I am planning on taking several AP/Honors biology and chemistry courses through 11th and 12th grade. Could you suggest any specific courses or websites I can use?
Thank you for your advice!!
#doctor #student #pre-med #college #medicine
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4 answers
Raquel Davis
Registered Nurse, premed student
148
Answers
Providence, Rhode Island
Updated
Raquel’s Answer
Becoming a doctor is a long and difficult process so I completely understand wanting to do what you can to make it shorter. But being honest finishing your undergraduate in 2 years is very unlikely and unless you do a medical school program where you start your college career with the medical school and graduate in either 6 or 7 years depending on the program, no school will allow you to finish in three years. These accelerated programs are also very difficult to get into.
To start with your undergraduate work, you will have to graduate with a bachelors degree which requires 120 completed credits, most people graduate in four years by taking 5 classes (15-20 credits) per semester. You can certainly speed that up by taking summer courses during high school and college or taking 6 classes at a time. I would caution against taking too many classes at a time, you need to make sure you are learning the material and succeeding in all of your classes. Many medical schools do not accept AP credit as credit for required prerequisite courses meaning you have to take the actual courses at a college for them to count on a medical school application. Since medical school is very competitive to get into and applying to only one or two schools is a very bad idea there is no way to ensure you only get into a school that may happen to accept AP credit. A better idea to try and finish your undergraduate work faster is to start taking actual college courses while in high school. These count as college credit since they are through a college not AP and will accelerate your degree. You can also take courses in the summer to graduate early. Graduating in three years is very possible if you work hard but two is very questionable. In order to get into medical school you also have to have an excellent GPA, average is a 3.8 so you need to do well in all of your classes not just bust through them. You will also have to take and score high on the MCAT which is a very difficult and long exam. On top of educational requirements you will need volunteering, shadowing, research, and leadership activities to make you a well rounded applicant.
Medical schools are set up differently from undergraduate work, you do not get to choose your course load. The program is set up in cohorts where each new year of students takes all of the same classes at the same time. They also often don’t follow the traditional semester format, content is broken up into sections, taught for a few weeks then tested on and you move on. The programs are set up this way to ensure success in the students and provide the best learning opportunities. As it is medical school is extremely difficult and rigorous, ask any current medical student or doctor, it is very difficult to do well in medical school. Being a doctor is a very big responsibility, that is why it is so difficult to do, you have peoples lives in your hands. You cannot take short cuts on something as serious as a medical education. So unless you are able to get into one of the few (and extremely competitive) “accelerated” programs, there is no way to get around the four years of medical school.
To start with your undergraduate work, you will have to graduate with a bachelors degree which requires 120 completed credits, most people graduate in four years by taking 5 classes (15-20 credits) per semester. You can certainly speed that up by taking summer courses during high school and college or taking 6 classes at a time. I would caution against taking too many classes at a time, you need to make sure you are learning the material and succeeding in all of your classes. Many medical schools do not accept AP credit as credit for required prerequisite courses meaning you have to take the actual courses at a college for them to count on a medical school application. Since medical school is very competitive to get into and applying to only one or two schools is a very bad idea there is no way to ensure you only get into a school that may happen to accept AP credit. A better idea to try and finish your undergraduate work faster is to start taking actual college courses while in high school. These count as college credit since they are through a college not AP and will accelerate your degree. You can also take courses in the summer to graduate early. Graduating in three years is very possible if you work hard but two is very questionable. In order to get into medical school you also have to have an excellent GPA, average is a 3.8 so you need to do well in all of your classes not just bust through them. You will also have to take and score high on the MCAT which is a very difficult and long exam. On top of educational requirements you will need volunteering, shadowing, research, and leadership activities to make you a well rounded applicant.
Medical schools are set up differently from undergraduate work, you do not get to choose your course load. The program is set up in cohorts where each new year of students takes all of the same classes at the same time. They also often don’t follow the traditional semester format, content is broken up into sections, taught for a few weeks then tested on and you move on. The programs are set up this way to ensure success in the students and provide the best learning opportunities. As it is medical school is extremely difficult and rigorous, ask any current medical student or doctor, it is very difficult to do well in medical school. Being a doctor is a very big responsibility, that is why it is so difficult to do, you have peoples lives in your hands. You cannot take short cuts on something as serious as a medical education. So unless you are able to get into one of the few (and extremely competitive) “accelerated” programs, there is no way to get around the four years of medical school.
Hi Raquel! This is some really great information - I'll definitely consider all of your points!
Thank you so much!
Samruddhi
Brooke Goldstein
Medical Scribe
1
Answer
New York, New York
Updated
Brooke’s Answer
Hi! I would suggest enrolling in classes that will count for college credit- AP classes for example. These can be in any discipline, not just science, and can be used to supplement other credits you may need in order to graduate. I would look into some information from medical schools about whether or not they will accept AP credits for the pre-requisite courses (such as biology or chemistry) and make sure that you are not only planning financially for the future but making sure you are the most competitive applicant you can be. That's not to say don't take those classes, definitely take them, you just may end up taking a similar college course to those AP ones. By having many credits transfer as college credit when you begin your college career, you can shorten your time at college to less than 4 years and save money.
As for completing medical in less than 4 years, I have personally not heard of others who have don't that. I am sure there are people out there who have figured out a way to do so, but I do not think that is the best idea. You want to get as much education and experience while there and ensure that you are taking the best care of your future patients. With that being said, medical school is very expensive, but there are ways to help supplement some of the costs. You can apply for aid and for scholarships. Some medical schools even offer full-ride scholarships for those who want to pursue a career in primary care. Definitely look into as many opportunities as possible, but make sure to set yourself up for success and happy life!
As for completing medical in less than 4 years, I have personally not heard of others who have don't that. I am sure there are people out there who have figured out a way to do so, but I do not think that is the best idea. You want to get as much education and experience while there and ensure that you are taking the best care of your future patients. With that being said, medical school is very expensive, but there are ways to help supplement some of the costs. You can apply for aid and for scholarships. Some medical schools even offer full-ride scholarships for those who want to pursue a career in primary care. Definitely look into as many opportunities as possible, but make sure to set yourself up for success and happy life!
Hi! Thank you so much for your advice! I am definitely taking mostly AP classes so that I can transfer several credits (as you said). I was wondering if there are any out-of-school classes I can take to be an even more competitive applicant, and save some time? Are CLEP tests useful for this? And are there any other summer classes that can be helpful for earning college credits out-of-school?
Thanks again!
Samruddhi
Samruddhi
No problem! Great job with the AP courses as this will definitely help with your course load and making sure you're not only saving time and money, you're focusing on doing well in your pre-requisite courses. I actually took Physics 1 and 2 over the summer, I was doing this so I could study abroad my Junior year, but you can definitely take courses over the summer. I would suggest that if you take any of the pre-requisite courses over the summer you try to take them at the college you intend to graduate from.
Brooke Goldstein
Some medical schools may view you taking the courses at a college that is "easier" than the one you intend to graduate from as a red flag and that you are trying to take the easy way out. I have not heard of anyone taking CLEP tests, that is definitely an option, but I would suggest reaching out to your pre-med adviser at the college you go to and see what their feeling is on this. Make sure to budget time for the MCAT at well.
Brooke Goldstein
Sounds good!! Thank you so much once again! I will definitely keep all of this in mind :)
- Samruddhi
Samruddhi
Good luck with everything and please let me know if you have more questions.
Brooke Goldstein
Brooke Grill
Student
19
Answers
Lewisburg, West Virginia
Updated
Brooke’s Answer
Unless you get into one of the very few accelerated programs (which you normally can only go into primary care), then it is nearly impossible to finish traditional medical school in less than 4 years. As previously mentioned, you are in a cohort and are unable to speed up your classes or go at your own pace. Furthermore, medical school is designed to challenge you and there is a reason it is 4 years. The material you learn can (and will) save lives in the future, so it is important not to rush the existing length of things.
If you are looking into a shorter education than 4 years of medical school + ~3-7 years residency, then considering PA (physician assistant) school or nursing are also other ways to get involved in healthcare!
If you are looking into a shorter education than 4 years of medical school + ~3-7 years residency, then considering PA (physician assistant) school or nursing are also other ways to get involved in healthcare!
Jennifer Hoang
46
Answers
Germantown, Maryland
Updated
Jennifer’s Answer
Hi Samruddhi! If you are interested in the accelerated path, you could also look into medical school programs that are 6 years, so instead of going to college and then medical school (4+4), you would go straight into the program after high school and become a doctor after 6 years. However, it is accelerated, so the content you will be learning will be given at a very fast pace, but I thought I'd mention this since you wanted to save some years. Hope this helped!
Thank you for your response! Are there any specific programs that you know of? I'm only aware of the UMKC BA/MD program and the Howard University BS/MD one. Are there any other institutions that offer this? Thanks again!
Samruddhi
Unfortunately, I don't know any others off the top of my head (although I'm sure you can find some with Google!), but Rutgers also offers a 7 year program if you want to look into that!
Jennifer Hoang
Yup, I've seen several 7 year ones - like the Penn State one (which is in my home state). I think that one can be shortened to 6 years, too - I'll look into it. Thank you so much for the help!
Samruddhi