Concerned

[bcpizza]

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I'm currently a junior in high school, and plan to take some sort of pre medical program at college. I'm not particularly sold on any career, but optometry and pharmacy are drawing interest. I'm just not sure if I have the smarts to make it all the way through. I've managed to average about a 90% in bio and chemistry in my freshman and sophomore year. This year my science course in anatomy and physiology. It seems like everything is just flying past me. There is just so much information, and it goes so fast. Everyday there is either an average of 50 word vocab quiz or a chapter test, so a chapter takes about a week. I'm going to manage a 90% probably just because a lot of the grade is from doing either key terms or the chapter outlines. It doesn't seem like I'm learning much because its going by me so fast.

I haven't taken my SAT's yet so I'm sure that will give me a better idea of whether or not I'll be able to keep up. I feel like i know the basics of chemistry and biology but after reading some of the things on the pre optometry programs and optometry school programs it just seems overwhelming.

Sorry if I seem like another high school kid that's not sure what I want but that's what it seems like. I'm curious what kind of time I'd have to put into to make it. I feel like i'm one of the smartest kids in my grade, but reading some of the things on here it just seems like too much. Do a lot of people think that? This probably doesn't make too much sense but any insight I'll listen to.

Thanks

 

[jvanewportnews]

By reading the graduate school posts, you could assume that school basically become your life for a few years. Get more information on medical careers, shadow pharmacists and/or other doctors, and if you become set on it, then go for it. I shadowed a dentist and have spoken with a few, and I find it to be a great career, so dentistry is my goal. Find out what will be required of you to get into your chosen career field, from things that you can do in h.s. to what will be required of you in college to become a successful graduate school applicant, and put your best foot forward.

No, it isn't easy...but everyone has to jump through the same hoops for the prize. The SAT won't determine if you sink or float. This is my last year, and it is honestly my worst/hardest year yet...your 90% is sounding good right now for some of my classes, but after deeper research you will know what you have to do, and when classes are hard, it doesnt really matter if you are good or bad at them, love them or hate them; you have to get through them so lets do what it takes to get it done!

 

[bcpizza]

So the SAT score really won't affect much? Is determining where you want to do your undergraduate work the most important part? I've been looking around at different programs that offer pre optometry or pre pharmacy; and i can't really find much on if any of the programs are better or worse than others. From what it seems like the foundation in your pre graduate work is vital. Do you know of any sites that could help with this?

I'm working on getting an interview with an optometrist, as part of a career paper I'm writing in English. Hopefully this will give me a better understanding, and either turn me onto the career or turn me away.

 

[redhead512]

trust me, it is overwelming. i completely understand. i'm in A & P as well and i felt like i was drowning starting on the first day of class. He would throw words out at us and expect us to know them by the end of class. It's about a month into the class now and i'm starting to feel a bit better about it. I'm not doing very well grade-wise because there aren't very many points and a 7/10 in our school is like a C. but i'm actually understanding a lot more now than i thought i ever would.

If you'd like to look, i posted a question about almost the same thing. i was feeling very overwellmed in A & P and i was scared that my dream wouldn't come true if i couldn't even make it through high school Anatomy!
Many people gave me tips on how to study and they really did help.

my biggest recommendation to you is to make flashcards and just drill drill drill. it will be boring and it will be overwellming, but you will get through it. i promise! good luck! 🙂

 

[avatarftw]

Depending on how efficient you study during college (especially) and even medical school, you can have plenty of free time. Going to the library and only really concentrating for 3 hours out of the 7 that you are there doesn't count as "seven hours" of studying, for example.

By reading the graduate school posts, you could assume that school basically become your life for a few years. Get more information on medical careers, shadow pharmacists and/or other doctors, and if you become set on it, then go for it. I shadowed a dentist and have spoken with a few, and I find it to be a great career, so dentistry is my goal. Find out what will be required of you to get into your chosen career field, from things that you can do in h.s. to what will be required of you in college to become a successful graduate school applicant, and put your best foot forward.

No, it isn't easy...but everyone has to jump through the same hoops for the prize. The SAT won't determine if you sink or float. This is my last year, and it is honestly my worst/hardest year yet...your 90% is sounding good right now for some of my classes, but after deeper research you will know what you have to do, and when classes are hard, it doesnt really matter if you are good or bad at them, love them or hate them; you have to get through them so lets do what it takes to get it done!

 

[avatarftw]

Isn't a 90 percent an A in High School? That's pretty good. That's great that you had anatomy in HS; it will help later on. Many of my classmates (me, too) were overwhelmed by anatomy in med school.

I'm currently a junior in high school, and plan to take some sort of pre medical program at college. I'm not particularly sold on any career, but optometry and pharmacy are drawing interest. I'm just not sure if I have the smarts to make it all the way through. I've managed to average about a 90% in bio and chemistry in my freshman and sophomore year. This year my science course in anatomy and physiology. It seems like everything is just flying past me. There is just so much information, and it goes so fast. Everyday there is either an average of 50 word vocab quiz or a chapter test, so a chapter takes about a week. I'm going to manage a 90% probably just because a lot of the grade is from doing either key terms or the chapter outlines. It doesn't seem like I'm learning much because its going by me so fast.

I haven't taken my SAT's yet so I'm sure that will give me a better idea of whether or not I'll be able to keep up. I feel like i know the basics of chemistry and biology but after reading some of the things on the pre optometry programs and optometry school programs it just seems overwhelming.

Sorry if I seem like another high school kid that's not sure what I want but that's what it seems like. I'm curious what kind of time I'd have to put into to make it. I feel like i'm one of the smartest kids in my grade, but reading some of the things on here it just seems like too much. Do a lot of people think that? This probably doesn't make too much sense but any insight I'll listen to.

Thanks

 

[bcpizza]

The more and more I read the more it looks like anything you take from high school is a bonus, and it's all about how you go about studying during your undergraduate and med school.

Not to look ahead, but next year I'm taking physics and I'm going to have a free elective to take. Should I take AP bio or AP chem? Or is it like i said above it really is irrelevant.

 

[jvanewportnews]

Ah, you make me feel a little better about my dental school outlook chino haha.

Bcpizza, in response to the SAT question, it isn't necessarily irrelevant as it weighs in decisions for scholarships and selective school admissions, but it isn't a test that tests your intelligence.

And for the last question, AP Bio is easier than AP Chem, but I opted for AP Chemistry since it would supposedly help with learning chemistry in college (required for pre-med/dental). AP Chemistry hard but definitely doable, and it can be interesting. Choose AP Biology if you prefer memorization or AP Chemistry if you prefer concepts and calculation. Both are pretty good choices.

 

[redhead512]

Isn't a 90 percent an A in High School? That's pretty good. That's great that you had anatomy in HS; it will help later on. Many of my classmates (me, too) were overwhelmed by anatomy in med school.

90% isn't an A in my school. We have a higher grading scale so a 93% is an A- and a 60% is an F. :/

 

[bcpizza]

For me its 94-100 is an A
93-86 B
85-78 C
77-70 D
70 and below F

 

[luke587]

dude chill out, your in high school still. Honestly i know kids who pulled a flat 3.0, but are getting 3.5's or higher in college. Its all about motivation and how well you study. If you study hard during the day you can relax at night. The horror stories of staying up all night arent true, unelss you do absoulutely nothing during the day and skip class. I would say alot of high school was pretty worthless for college courses because its way different study wise and how much material you cover, its faster and alot more in depth then high school. Take a deep breath and you'll do fine, i learned that with anatomy and physiology, in high school and college you need to drill drill drill, and make up stupid little sayings or mnemonic devices, like a song or something especially crucial when studying bones and muscles. good luck you'll be fine and don't worry if you didn't get awesome grades in high school because medical schools don't care whether you had a 1.9 in high school or a 4.0