4 answers
Josephine
Student
Ellington, Missouri
1
Question
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What are the requirements to get into medical school and how long it would take to meet those requirements and how long medical school would take. I want to do plastic surgery. ?
I am 15 and in 9th grade and I would like to go to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. I live in Missouri now.
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4 answers
Michel Davis
Medical student
171
Answers
Cranston, Rhode Island
Updated
Michel’s Answer
So saw your comment on another post, and wanted to clarify just a bit more to help. Shadowing a vet can be helpful absolutely to see if that is something that you would like, but shadowing a physician is going to be better because that would be the career that you are interested in. So getting experience and seeing what different careers do during the day is important, but finding things that are a little closer to home may help. As others have said you will do the MCAT, medical school, then residency. It is a long process, but it sounds like you are motivated, and I know you will do great. Let us know if you have any other questions. Best of luck to you.
Alyssa Browning
cardiologist
14
Answers
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Updated
Alyssa’s Answer
Hello Rian! It's great to connect with a fellow Missourian - I'm from Southeast Missouri myself and attended Rhodes College in Memphis for my degree.
Embarking on a medical career is quite the journey, especially if you're considering plastic surgery. You'll need to complete four years of college and another four years of medical school. After that, you're looking at a residency in plastic surgery that could last six or seven years. It's a long road, but the mastery of surgery is worth every moment (for surgeons...not that I am one, ha ha).
Here's a link to a free digital guide on medical school requirements by the AAMC (the organization that accredits medical schools). It might be of some help:
https://store.aamc.org/2023-official-guide-to-medical-school-admissions-how-to-prepare-for-and-apply-to-medical-school.html
Coming from a non-medical family myself, I found it helpful to major in biology. While it's not a requirement for medical school, you do need to take certain science classes and there's a fair bit of science on the medical school admissions test. In my opinion, a science major can be beneficial as it covers these required classes.
Another thing that helped me was being in a college environment with other premed and prenursing students. It might be worth exploring if the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville offers a premedical "track" - a list of recommended classes for medical school preparation. I would also suggest to try to find out if they have a premed advisor who can guide you through the application process. It's also a good idea to check their acceptance rate for medical school applicants (usually that's reported as a 2 year acceptance rate-it is not unusual for it to take 2 "tries" to get into medical school).
One thing you could do right now is reach out to your local county medical society. They might be able to connect you with a surgeon or other physician in your area who you could shadow for a few hours to get a feel for the profession.
Lastly, look into whether the University of Arkansas system or University of Missouri -Columbia, for example, offers any "guaranteed acceptance" programs. These programs allow certain undergraduates to secure a place in medical school by maintaining a specific GPA during their initial college years. St. Louis University used to offer this, but I'm not sure if it's still available or if the University of Missouri ever had a similar program.
I hope this helps, Rian! Best of luck on your journey towards becoming a doctor.
Embarking on a medical career is quite the journey, especially if you're considering plastic surgery. You'll need to complete four years of college and another four years of medical school. After that, you're looking at a residency in plastic surgery that could last six or seven years. It's a long road, but the mastery of surgery is worth every moment (for surgeons...not that I am one, ha ha).
Here's a link to a free digital guide on medical school requirements by the AAMC (the organization that accredits medical schools). It might be of some help:
https://store.aamc.org/2023-official-guide-to-medical-school-admissions-how-to-prepare-for-and-apply-to-medical-school.html
Coming from a non-medical family myself, I found it helpful to major in biology. While it's not a requirement for medical school, you do need to take certain science classes and there's a fair bit of science on the medical school admissions test. In my opinion, a science major can be beneficial as it covers these required classes.
Another thing that helped me was being in a college environment with other premed and prenursing students. It might be worth exploring if the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville offers a premedical "track" - a list of recommended classes for medical school preparation. I would also suggest to try to find out if they have a premed advisor who can guide you through the application process. It's also a good idea to check their acceptance rate for medical school applicants (usually that's reported as a 2 year acceptance rate-it is not unusual for it to take 2 "tries" to get into medical school).
One thing you could do right now is reach out to your local county medical society. They might be able to connect you with a surgeon or other physician in your area who you could shadow for a few hours to get a feel for the profession.
Lastly, look into whether the University of Arkansas system or University of Missouri -Columbia, for example, offers any "guaranteed acceptance" programs. These programs allow certain undergraduates to secure a place in medical school by maintaining a specific GPA during their initial college years. St. Louis University used to offer this, but I'm not sure if it's still available or if the University of Missouri ever had a similar program.
I hope this helps, Rian! Best of luck on your journey towards becoming a doctor.
Rian Alam
Student
139
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Rian’s Answer
Hi Josephine,
It's fantastic that you want to become a physician! The journey to becoming a physician is a long one but quite rewarding. To start, you will need to complete your bachelor's degree. During this time, you can pick and complete a degree in any major however you must take classes to fulfill the prerequisites for medical school. This includes chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, and some math. During this time, you most likely will want to spend time volunteering both in a clinical or non clinical setting. Alongside that, you will have to take the MCAT in order to apply to medical schools. Once in medical school, which is 4 years, you will work and perform research in order to apply for residency. Typically, a residency for a plastic surgery is 6 years long.
Best of luck to you!
It's fantastic that you want to become a physician! The journey to becoming a physician is a long one but quite rewarding. To start, you will need to complete your bachelor's degree. During this time, you can pick and complete a degree in any major however you must take classes to fulfill the prerequisites for medical school. This includes chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, and some math. During this time, you most likely will want to spend time volunteering both in a clinical or non clinical setting. Alongside that, you will have to take the MCAT in order to apply to medical schools. Once in medical school, which is 4 years, you will work and perform research in order to apply for residency. Typically, a residency for a plastic surgery is 6 years long.
Best of luck to you!
Thankyou so much for answering this it really helps clear up a lot for me and I can plan for my future a lot easier now! The only question I have that I forgot to ask is I have the opportunity to shadow at a veterinary clinic but I don't know if that could put anything forward to applying for college because I want to get my bachelor degree in biology.
Josephine
Houcine Lakhchach
Career Development Specialist | U.S Department exchange Alumnus | EFL/ESL trainer | Program manager
139
Answers
Kenitra, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco
Updated
Houcine’s Answer
Hello Josephine,
To pursue a career in plastic surgery, you'll generally need a bachelor's degree, complete pre-medical coursework, and attend medical school, which typically takes four years. After medical school, a residency in plastic surgery, lasting around 6-7 years, is required. Begin by focusing on high school academics, obtaining a bachelor's degree, and gaining relevant experience. Your choice of university, such as the University of Arkansas, can contribute to your academic journey.
Warm regards,
Houcine
To pursue a career in plastic surgery, you'll generally need a bachelor's degree, complete pre-medical coursework, and attend medical school, which typically takes four years. After medical school, a residency in plastic surgery, lasting around 6-7 years, is required. Begin by focusing on high school academics, obtaining a bachelor's degree, and gaining relevant experience. Your choice of university, such as the University of Arkansas, can contribute to your academic journey.
Warm regards,
Houcine
Thank you, Houcine!
Josephine