CHSPE

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Hey, I was wondering if I should take the CHSPE at high school so I can graduate early. I want to do this to shorten the time in order to become a neurosurgeon. How will taking the CHSPE impact my education?
Thanks
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levsn0w said:
Hey, I was wondering if I should take the CHSPE at high school so I can graduate early. I want to do this to shorten the time in order to become a neurosurgeon. How will taking the CHSPE impact my education?
Thanks
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So like a GED?

It won't affect medical school admissions, but could effect college admissions. Honestly, don't rush the process. It's so much better to enjoy high school and college while you are there.
 
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Yea I wouldn’t rush highschool graduation. In the grand scheme you’re so far away from med school, residency, etc that it won’t make a meaningful difference.

Highschool is a great time to grow as a person and young professional. It becomes apparent the further you go in medicine that academics (while critically important) are not what makes a doctor great. Rich life experiences are invaluable in your development of a greater understanding of the world.

If you’re feeling antsy to get moving and do something clinical, a part time job or volunteer position in a medical field would be a great use of time. Scribing, medical assistant, or volunteer with hospice come to mind.

When I got to med school the students that really shined were people who’d had jobs, worked with patients, and traveled. Test taking drones are a dime a dozen in this field, but competent, caring human beings are tough to come by.
 
I did something similar in a different state, though for different reasons than you, and have been admitted to a number of medical schools, some of high caliber. Having said that, I don't think it's a good idea given your goals. Graduating with the CHSPE will absolutely affect college admissions at the undergrad level since applying to college with a GED instead of a high school diploma will effectively limit you to very low-tier undergrad schools. You could probably get great grades at a low-tier undergrad school, but you would have to determine whether those schools also offer whatever research/extracurriculars/faculty mentorship you're interested in. And, of course, there is some correlation between caliber of undergrad institution and caliber of med school admission. If you're truly sure you want to be a *neurosurgeon*, then saving one year of high school in exchange for going to a very low-tier undergrad school doesn't seem like a great gamble to get started with.
 
levsn0w said:
Hey, I was wondering if I should take the CHSPE at high school so I can graduate early. I want to do this to shorten the time in order to become a neurosurgeon. How will taking the CHSPE impact my education?
Thanks
Click to expand...

I took the CHSPE and it was pretty easy. Yeah it can lessen your time by a year or two, but that means that you are going into college 1-2 years less mature than everyone else. As far as I know, you have to be enrolled in 10th grade or pass 10th grade. Also, you still have to attend high school while you're waiting for results, and they only test 3 times a year.

Also, if you're not going into a ccc and transferring, its hard to get into a university right out of the CHSPE, because what are they going to judge you on? They look at 4 years of high school and the trends in it, and extracurriculars. But if you dip after 2 years for no extreme reason, then they have less and less to judge you on.

Also, I'm glad you know what you want to be right out of the gate, but you may come to realize you don't really like neurosurgery or want to pursue a different specialty. This especially applies if you don't have any shadowing or clinical experience. Something as simple as wanting continuity could mean the difference between being a neurosurgeon and a neurologist in your neighborhood. High school and undergrad is all about exploring, and you might regret it if you rush rush rush into everything else.

I'm only talking out of experience and stories I heard from other people taking the CHSPE. One girl wanted to be a trauma surgeon, didn't pass the CHSPE and then changed things entirely and stuck through all 4 years. I only took the CHSPE because I had health issues where I missed 2 years of high school (freshman and sophomore), failed 14 classes, but I knew I would pass because the only classes I didn't fail were AP Bio, APUSH, and AP comp sci. I took it and I passed, and been in a ccc transferring to UCSD. I've wanted to be a doctor since I was little and I made sure of that by getting clinical experience and volunteer experience.

If you have all that, are sure that's what you want to be, and feel that you're wasting your years away in high school, be my guest. Do what you must. The chspe is for special circumstances and home schooled kids, so if you think you fall into special circumstances and your guidance counselor thinks so too, go for it. Best of luck! Next testing date is in March. 🙂


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