Advice for High School Students

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MichaelWBarker

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Do any of you medical students have any advice for High School student's interested in Medical Careers? I am interested in Forensic Pathology. Currently, I am a Senior in High School trying to determine what my future shall hold.

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I'm not a medical student. In fact, I'm not even a pre-med student. But I am a bit older than a lot of the people on these boards (late 20's), have a successful career in a totally non-medical field, and am considering quitting it to go back for med. So I will give you some advice that I wished somebody had given me when I was entering college.

The advice is this: cliche as it sounds, you really can do almost anything if you work hard enough at it. The people who make it in pre-med are NOT the smartest, but the most determined. I had a ton of friends in college who started pre-med and by sophomore or junior years were so sick of all the work involved that they dropped out. Few of my friends ended up even applying for med school. As for myself, I briefly considered the idea, but as a freshman I took one look at how hard pre-meds worked and decided that I didn't want to spend my college years like that.

The upshot of all this? Explore medicine thoroughly. Do some volunteer work, arrange to shadow a doctor, read some books on the subject. Because if you find out that it's TRULY what you want to do, then you will have the motivation to grind it out and you WILL make it. And if you find out that it's not really for you, you will have a much more enjoyable experience in college by not putting yourself through the torture.

Finally, a lot of those pre-med friends I had who didn't end up going for med school suddendly decided around senior year that they were going to law school instead. Few of them are happy with that decision now. The trap that a hell of a lot of college kids fall into is not realizing that there are literally tens of thousands of careers out there. They think "if I'm not in law school or in med school, what will I do with my life?" What they don't realize is that, sooner or later, most people will fall into something good. It just happens that way. Me, I'm in a career that I never anticipated I would go into, and I actually have done quite well with it, and in many ways like it (even though I am thinking now that, long run, I might want to do med instead). So, whatever you end up doing, don't think that you have to go to a professional school to have a good career. Be honest with yourself, believe in yourself, and make your choices for the right reasons. Things will fall into place in ways you never expected.

P.S. Most importantly: have FUN in college. Drink beer, date, do some silly stuff. If you don't you'll regret it.
 
MichaelWBarker said:
Do any of you medical students have any advice for High School student's interested in Medical Careers? I am interested in Forensic Pathology. Currently, I am a Senior in High School trying to determine what my future shall hold.
In my opinion, the most important thing is to make sure that medicine really is for you. Since you're interested in forensic pathology, maybe you could try to contact some pathologists in your area and ask whether they'd let you shadow them. They'd also be great resources for you so you can get an idea of what you're "in for." Ask them about their college/med school/residency/early work experiences. If after talking to pathologists as well as other doctors, you are still sure you want to do this, make sure you maintain a good GPA through college. Don't make the mistake of taking too much on your first semester in school. Don't join a bunch of clubs right away or take 5-6 courses. Just take whatever is the average at your school (at mine it was 4) and take it easy. If after the first exams are over, you feel confident that you're doing the right things, then start doing some extracurricular activies. Don't join things that you think admissions committees would like to see on your resume but do something you actually enjoy. Above all, remember to have a good time otherwise you might be burnt out by the time you matriculate into med school.
 
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that's great if you think you know what you want to do with your life while in high school. keep in mind that most people change their major at least once while in college. therefore, my advice would be to shadow and explore to see if medicine is what you really want to do. your college years will mean much more as far as achievement, chairty work, etc., so spend your time now helping to make sure this is what you want to do (and continue that while in college).

don't listen to the people that try to make it sound hard: "in school for 8 years, then residency for 11-14 total years of school before you start your career"... this stuff will fly by.

also, try to shadow, and do it a few times a week. get a sense of what it's like to "go to work" with sick people. some days you'll want to go, and others you'll want to go out with friends, but keep "going to work"

finally, know that once you enter college you'll have a lot of choices/options/decisions to make and you may realize your motivations lead you elsewhere, so don't stress future decisions now (i.e. what will help me get into med school).... i mean, i'm 33 and i'm just now applying to med schools and if i could do it again, i wouldn't do much differently.
 
my advice to all high school students...

enjoy your time in college. it is a completely unique period in your life. it goes by fast, and you will never have another chance to be a college kid.

think about your future career, but don't obsess about it. go to a school that's solid across the board and take classes in things you find interesting. if you don't know what you want to do, or if you become unsure along the way, it's ok. you have a lot of time to figure it out, even after college

keep an open mind. you will change a lot. be ready. it's fun.


so i know that's not real specific to pre-med, but honestly, i don't think it's worth worrying too much about premed until you are further along. good luck.
 
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