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Kaydence
Student
Albuquerque, New Mexico
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What should I know about going to medical school? What should I expect?
What should I know about going to medical school? What should I expect?
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3 answers
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
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Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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James Constantine’s Answer
Hey there, Kaydence!
Let's chat about the journey to becoming a doctor. It's a big step, requiring a lot of dedication, sweat, and a deep love for medicine. Here's what you need to know:
1. **Getting In:** To start, you'll need a bachelor's degree, preferably with lots of science classes like biology, chemistry, physics, and math. Most med schools also require the MCAT exam. The application process is tough and they'll look at your grades, extracurriculars, recommendation letters, personal statement, and how well you do in an interview.
2. **What You'll Learn:** Med school usually takes four years. The first two are spent in classrooms and labs studying subjects like anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and pathology. The last two years you'll be doing clinical rotations, getting hands-on experience in different areas of medicine under the guidance of seasoned doctors.
3. **Choosing Your Path:** During clinical rotations, you'll get a taste of different specialties like internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and more. Once you graduate, you'll need to do a residency in your chosen specialty, which can take between three to seven years.
4. **The Grind:** Med school is tough. Expect long study hours, lots of exams, and a ton of information to absorb. It's a heavy workload that needs good time management and resilience.
5. **Paying for It:** Med school can be pricey. Tuition fees can be high and many students take on debt. But, there are also financial aid options like scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study programs.
6. **Beyond the Books:** Med schools also focus on professional and ethical training. You'll learn about patient care ethics, how to communicate effectively, cultural competence, and the importance of empathy in healthcare.
7. **Getting Licensed:** After med school and your residency, you'll need to pass the USMLE or COMLEX-USA exam to get your medical license. Then, you can go for board certification in your specialty through exams from the relevant specialty boards.
8. **Balancing Act:** A healthy work-life balance is key in medicine. Med students have demanding schedules, but it's also important to take care of yourself.
In a nutshell, med school is a challenging but rewarding path that needs dedication, persistence, and a real desire to help others through medicine. It's a journey that prepares you for a fulfilling career in healthcare.
The information provided here is backed by authoritative sources like the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Medical Association (AMA), and U.S. News & World Report's rankings of top medical schools. These sources ensure the information is accurate and reliable.
Wishing you all the best in your journey to becoming a doctor!
James Constantine.
Let's chat about the journey to becoming a doctor. It's a big step, requiring a lot of dedication, sweat, and a deep love for medicine. Here's what you need to know:
1. **Getting In:** To start, you'll need a bachelor's degree, preferably with lots of science classes like biology, chemistry, physics, and math. Most med schools also require the MCAT exam. The application process is tough and they'll look at your grades, extracurriculars, recommendation letters, personal statement, and how well you do in an interview.
2. **What You'll Learn:** Med school usually takes four years. The first two are spent in classrooms and labs studying subjects like anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and pathology. The last two years you'll be doing clinical rotations, getting hands-on experience in different areas of medicine under the guidance of seasoned doctors.
3. **Choosing Your Path:** During clinical rotations, you'll get a taste of different specialties like internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and more. Once you graduate, you'll need to do a residency in your chosen specialty, which can take between three to seven years.
4. **The Grind:** Med school is tough. Expect long study hours, lots of exams, and a ton of information to absorb. It's a heavy workload that needs good time management and resilience.
5. **Paying for It:** Med school can be pricey. Tuition fees can be high and many students take on debt. But, there are also financial aid options like scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study programs.
6. **Beyond the Books:** Med schools also focus on professional and ethical training. You'll learn about patient care ethics, how to communicate effectively, cultural competence, and the importance of empathy in healthcare.
7. **Getting Licensed:** After med school and your residency, you'll need to pass the USMLE or COMLEX-USA exam to get your medical license. Then, you can go for board certification in your specialty through exams from the relevant specialty boards.
8. **Balancing Act:** A healthy work-life balance is key in medicine. Med students have demanding schedules, but it's also important to take care of yourself.
In a nutshell, med school is a challenging but rewarding path that needs dedication, persistence, and a real desire to help others through medicine. It's a journey that prepares you for a fulfilling career in healthcare.
The information provided here is backed by authoritative sources like the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Medical Association (AMA), and U.S. News & World Report's rankings of top medical schools. These sources ensure the information is accurate and reliable.
Wishing you all the best in your journey to becoming a doctor!
James Constantine.
Congratulations James on over 1000 questions answered on CareerVillage
Doc Frick
Godfrey Magawe
Clinical officer nephrology
114
Answers
Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya
Updated
Godfrey’s Answer
Good question
Medical school is interesting
Basically your need to know the education minimum requirements for doing the course you want to do if it's Medicine, radiography, nursing, occupation therapy etc.
You need to know the subjects you need to have taken as your major in college.
You need also to have developed some passion with medicine so that you don't have shock during the training as you maybe exposed to some scenes that you were not used to like blood, seeing very sick people.
In College you must be prepared to work hard and learn extra mile with,long lectures, assignments, practical sessions,end semester exams which will be continuous until you complete your course carriculum .
Basically you will learn alot and you need to be well prepared
Medical school is interesting
Basically your need to know the education minimum requirements for doing the course you want to do if it's Medicine, radiography, nursing, occupation therapy etc.
You need to know the subjects you need to have taken as your major in college.
You need also to have developed some passion with medicine so that you don't have shock during the training as you maybe exposed to some scenes that you were not used to like blood, seeing very sick people.
In College you must be prepared to work hard and learn extra mile with,long lectures, assignments, practical sessions,end semester exams which will be continuous until you complete your course carriculum .
Basically you will learn alot and you need to be well prepared
Christina Stasiuk
Medical Director
8
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Christina’s Answer
The answer above is quite thorough. You should know that going to medical school develops you into a professional. You are a doctor 24/7. It's who you are. I love being a doctor and helping people live their healthiest version of themselves or supporting them through challenging times. It takes humility and self-sacrifice and a love for your fellow human beings.