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What does being a doctor include? Do you have to do a lot of sacrificing?

What does being a doctor include? Do you have to do a lot of sacrificing?

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Suzanne’s Answer

Kaniya, to become a doctor you first get a college degree which needs to include taking and doing well in the required "pre-medical" subjects like biology, chemistry, physics, and math. This is typically a four year process to get your bachelor's degree. You take the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) and apply to medical schools. Medical school is also 4 years. Then you do a residency which is 3-5 or more years depending on what branch of medicine you go into. As a resident you are paid a salary and no longer pay tuition but loans do start coming due then for many people.

As you can see there is a big investment in the process of becoming a doctor...both in time, money/loans and dedication to your studies, sometimes at the expense of other aspects of life. The pay off for this however can come in the form of having a fascinating career which never stops being interesting and allows you to help people in a very meaningful way.

Suzanne recommends the following next steps:

It is important to learn as much about being a doctor as possible to know if the sacrifices are worth it to you. Try to find a way to work or volunteer in a health care setting. Talk to doctors and other health care workers about their roles and what they think of their careers.
Let your teachers and counselors know that you are thinking about a career in medicine. Be sure you are taking all the science and math courses you can in high school so you are ready for college pre-med courses.
Check out these opportunities for Baltimore high school students put on by Johns Hopkins University: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/pathway/high-school-student-resources/index.html
Write back with more questions. Good luck!
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