2 answers
Alyssa
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
3
Questions
Asked
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Where do I start if I want to become a pediatric surgeon?
I am in 10th grade and I want to become a pediatric surgeon when I am older. I really like kids and hanging out with them. I want a job that would involve kids and helping people.
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2 answers
Clara Osburg
Management Consulting
2
Answers
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
Clara’s Answer
Hi! My sister is planning to go to medical school, so I have looked into this a lot. It's great to hear that you like helping people, and want to work with kids.
First, I would think about how you feel about your science classes. Hopefully you like biology and chemistry, and maybe you'll get to take a class like Anatomy in high school, or later in college. If you don't love your science classes, that's OK -- think about why you don't like them. If your teacher is not your favorite, that might be ok, but if you find the subject boring or the pictures in the textbook really gross, maybe being a doctor or surgeon is not the best path for you.
If you do want to go into medicine, you'll need to go to medical school, but in the United states that comes after college. Look for colleges/universities that offer a bachelor's degree with a good "pre-med" program. As for what your degree is, you have lots of options. A Bachelor's of Science in Biology (or Chemistry) is very common, but I know people who went to medical school after studying engineering, or psychology!
If you decide that medical school is not for you, you could consider nursing school, or even dentistry!
And if you realize that the field of medicine is not your favorite, there's lots of other ways to help people and work with kids. You could look into social work, teaching, or working in administrative assistance in a doctor's or dentist's office.
No matter what you do, make sure you never let any one bit of advice get you down. You don't need to be a perfect student to get into medical school. You don't have to go to a fancy college to get a good job. Follow what you are interested in, and keep being curious and learning, and things will work out. 😊
First, I would think about how you feel about your science classes. Hopefully you like biology and chemistry, and maybe you'll get to take a class like Anatomy in high school, or later in college. If you don't love your science classes, that's OK -- think about why you don't like them. If your teacher is not your favorite, that might be ok, but if you find the subject boring or the pictures in the textbook really gross, maybe being a doctor or surgeon is not the best path for you.
If you do want to go into medicine, you'll need to go to medical school, but in the United states that comes after college. Look for colleges/universities that offer a bachelor's degree with a good "pre-med" program. As for what your degree is, you have lots of options. A Bachelor's of Science in Biology (or Chemistry) is very common, but I know people who went to medical school after studying engineering, or psychology!
If you decide that medical school is not for you, you could consider nursing school, or even dentistry!
And if you realize that the field of medicine is not your favorite, there's lots of other ways to help people and work with kids. You could look into social work, teaching, or working in administrative assistance in a doctor's or dentist's office.
No matter what you do, make sure you never let any one bit of advice get you down. You don't need to be a perfect student to get into medical school. You don't have to go to a fancy college to get a good job. Follow what you are interested in, and keep being curious and learning, and things will work out. 😊
Thank you!
Alyssa
Benjamin Caraballo
Consulting
2
Answers
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
Benjamin’s Answer
Take Biology, Chemistry, Math and Physics classes in High School. These will provide the academic foundation that will be needed to take the pre-med course load in college. Pursue Pre-Med in college and consider an internship or experience during the summer to explore this career path. In college, there will be advisors who will guide you through applying to Med School. Med School will be where you learn how to be a doctor.
Thank you!
Alyssa