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Does the program at my highschool I am currently enrolled in, affect my chances into pursuing a Medical Career?
So currently, I am in a NYC CTE highschool where I am in the I.T. Program. Can I still pursue a medical career not being in the medical program at my school?
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Doc’s Answer
Joseph it's a little premature to worry about pre-med courses in high school, but if medicine is something you’re passionate about, it’s never too early to start. Before looking at what classes are best to take in high school for pre-med, it’s important to know what classes you will take in college as a pre-med student and then what you will take as a medical student.
HIGHSCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATH
Science courses like chemistry, biology and physics are all great classes to start with. Starting with these courses in high school is a great way to ease into these subjects and prepare for college courses. Math is another subject that you’ll want to study a variety of topics within. As a doctor, you will work with graphs, charts, and statistics and make calculations of your own. Algebra, calculus, and statistics are all beneficial for building a solid foundation in math.
HIGHSCHOOL EXTRACURRICULAR
Classes aren’t the only thing you can do to set yourself up for success in medical school while you’re in high school. While grades and test scores are important factors in your admittance to medical school, there are other things that they will look at as well. Medical school admissions boards want to see what you are like as a person as well. Being a doctor also means being a well-rounded person who can work well with patients.
• SHADOWING - It’s always a plus if you can show that you have taken the time to explore the field of medicine and have a realistic idea of what it looks like. Shadowing is a great way to do this. Spend some time with various doctors to see what it would really be like to practice medicine. Even if you can’t shadow a doctor, ask to speak with them about questions you might have. Established doctors were once in your position and will likely want to share their knowledge.
• VOLUNTEERING - Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and show that you have a passion for serving others. While volunteering of any kind is great, there are certainly some opportunities that may help you stand out more than others. A lot of hospitals have volunteer positions for students. Some positions may require you to be a certain age, but again, that shouldn’t discourage you from looking into what opportunities are out there. There may also be opportunities within your school or community that may be a great fit for you as well.
PRE-MED COLLEGE COURSES
Pre-med courses in college typically consist of biology, chemistry, physics, and a few math and English courses. Pre-med courses are designed to give you a good base for what you will eventually study in medical school. There are other courses that you may take due to the nature of your major, but broadly speaking these are what most medical schools require.
The classes you take in medical school will be where you take all the base knowledge you’ve gathered and go even deeper. Subjects like biostatistics, pathology and medical ethics are all courses that will stem from material you previously studied.
Remember Joseph, doing well in your high school classes is important because, not only will it help you get accepted to your top colleges and their pre-med programs, it will also help give you the discipline and knowledge necessary to do well in college, when your grades really do matter for med school. If you have a pattern of getting high grades in high school, that will make it much easier to get high grades in college.
Hope this was helpful Joseph
HIGHSCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATH
Science courses like chemistry, biology and physics are all great classes to start with. Starting with these courses in high school is a great way to ease into these subjects and prepare for college courses. Math is another subject that you’ll want to study a variety of topics within. As a doctor, you will work with graphs, charts, and statistics and make calculations of your own. Algebra, calculus, and statistics are all beneficial for building a solid foundation in math.
HIGHSCHOOL EXTRACURRICULAR
Classes aren’t the only thing you can do to set yourself up for success in medical school while you’re in high school. While grades and test scores are important factors in your admittance to medical school, there are other things that they will look at as well. Medical school admissions boards want to see what you are like as a person as well. Being a doctor also means being a well-rounded person who can work well with patients.
• SHADOWING - It’s always a plus if you can show that you have taken the time to explore the field of medicine and have a realistic idea of what it looks like. Shadowing is a great way to do this. Spend some time with various doctors to see what it would really be like to practice medicine. Even if you can’t shadow a doctor, ask to speak with them about questions you might have. Established doctors were once in your position and will likely want to share their knowledge.
• VOLUNTEERING - Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and show that you have a passion for serving others. While volunteering of any kind is great, there are certainly some opportunities that may help you stand out more than others. A lot of hospitals have volunteer positions for students. Some positions may require you to be a certain age, but again, that shouldn’t discourage you from looking into what opportunities are out there. There may also be opportunities within your school or community that may be a great fit for you as well.
PRE-MED COLLEGE COURSES
Pre-med courses in college typically consist of biology, chemistry, physics, and a few math and English courses. Pre-med courses are designed to give you a good base for what you will eventually study in medical school. There are other courses that you may take due to the nature of your major, but broadly speaking these are what most medical schools require.
The classes you take in medical school will be where you take all the base knowledge you’ve gathered and go even deeper. Subjects like biostatistics, pathology and medical ethics are all courses that will stem from material you previously studied.
Remember Joseph, doing well in your high school classes is important because, not only will it help you get accepted to your top colleges and their pre-med programs, it will also help give you the discipline and knowledge necessary to do well in college, when your grades really do matter for med school. If you have a pattern of getting high grades in high school, that will make it much easier to get high grades in college.
Hope this was helpful Joseph
Updated
Pamela’s Answer
Yes you can although having a science background can help with terms and understanding, it is not necessary to get into medical school. There are some required and as long as you take them and do well you can get into med school.
In undergraduate school required classes include general and organic chemistry, physics, general biology, this is 1 year of each of these with a lab.
So you are fine study what you enjoy.
In undergraduate school required classes include general and organic chemistry, physics, general biology, this is 1 year of each of these with a lab.
So you are fine study what you enjoy.
Updated
LaKeisha’s Answer
Hello, the answer is no. Your High School Program/coursework would not affect what you would like to major in College. However taking AP classes will lessen the class load in your future College Program.
Updated
Karissa’s Answer
Definitely! The best thing you can do now is to take AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based and AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based. Even though you are in an IT Program the state you live in will require you take science classes that are not in the IT field. Ask yourself why you want to continue the program you are in. Maybe you want to be a Radiologist. That's a doctor who uses technology.