G.e.d! ;(

[Eare]

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Hi, I know this question has been asked a hundred times, but living in the Midwest ghetto has it's troubles. Where I have chosen to get my GED. Smart Kids don't fit well in the ghetto, where they pick on for being smarter. So whats challenges would I face by deciding to get this lesser form of high school diploma. How would if affect me getting into Medical School? Would going to a CC school affect my future also.

Please don't try to talk me out of getting my GED.

 

[MilkmanAl]

How would if affect me getting into Medical School?

It won't at all. If you can spin the reason smart kid vs. ghetto thing properly, it might even be an advantage.

Would going to a CC school affect my future also.

Eh...sort of. It's certainly preferable to do your pre-reqs at a 4-year school, but you won't get automatically rejected for having done them at a CC. A good GPA and MCAT score will still be all you need.

Please don't try to talk me out of getting my GED.

I've seen some crazy things on SDN, but I don't believe I've ever run across anyone recommending against educating yourself.

 

[docB]

Are you talking about getting a GED instead of sticking it out in high school and getting a regular diploma?

 

[MilkmanAl]

Oh, good question. I'd just assumed that the OP had already dropped out of high school. If you're still in high school, finish it up. It'll make going to college quite a lot easier.

 

[boaz]

Unless you are still in HS (cf. above posters) your GED will be just fine. MY HS diploma is GED and I got into med school. But I would not recommend a CC. College matters much much more than HS.

 

[Eare]

What about two years at a CC and then transfer to a 4 year

 

[Vicviper]

That's the normal route for CC, 2 years and then transfer to a 4 year. I did that and only ran into problems with schools that dislike CC's (Temple and Tufts for dental I believe), but the other schools really didn't mind, and I got into some great schools.

How old are you? I know in California you can't take the GED until you're 18, but they have an alternate test called the CHSPE for those under 18 (I took this but decided to stick around in highschool anyways), maybe your state has something similar.

I know some really smart kids who were home schooled, went to a CC, transferred, and started med school just before their 20th birthday, so it's definitely doable.

Like Milk was alluding to before, more important than having taken some lower level pre-reqs at CC is doing well in your upper division classes once you transfer and getting a good score on the MCAT. That's what I did (with the DAT instead), and it worked out great. Good luck!

 

[the duck]

That's the normal route for CC, 2 years and then transfer to a 4 year. I did that and only ran into problems with schools that dislike CC's (Temple and Tufts for dental I believe), but the other schools really didn't mind, and I got into some great schools.

How old are you? I know in California you can't take the GED until you're 18, but they have an alternate test called the CHSPE for those under 18 (I took this but decided to stick around in highschool anyways), maybe your state has something similar.

I know some really smart kids who were home schooled, went to a CC, transferred, and started med school just before their 20th birthday, so it's definitely doable.

Like Milk was alluding to before, more important than having taken some lower level pre-reqs at CC is doing well in your upper division classes once you transfer and getting a good score on the MCAT. That's what I did (with the DAT instead), and it worked out great. Good luck!

Thats exactly what I'm planning on doing! Though I'll probably be 21 since I plan on taking all my prereqs at UCLA after I transfer and I doubt I can cram all my psych major classes and medschool prereqs into just two years...

 

[Vicviper]

Thats exactly what I'm planning on doing! Though I'll probably be 21 since I plan on taking all my prereqs at UCLA after I transfer and I doubt I can cram all my psych major classes and medschool prereqs into just two years...

Hmm... you're not even planning on taking even general bio before you transfer? That might be incredibly rough to take all of the lower level science classes after you transfer. 🙁 UCLA won't even let you transfer in as a bio major until you've taken a year of bio and gchem, is that why you're going in a psych?

 

[the duck]

Hmm... you're not even planning on taking even general bio before you transfer? That might be incredibly rough to take all of the lower level science classes after you transfer. 🙁 UCLA won't even let you transfer in as a bio major until you've taken a year of bio and gchem, is that why you're going in a psych?

Not really, I find psych quite interesting plus bio major don't have the best acceptance stats. I know, that's why I'm thinking of probably taking 3 years, and doing a informal post-bac of sorts. Ill have math done by the time I transfer at least!

 

[faith2]

HS is overated I did the GED route, the CC then transfer route. What you will notice when you get a certain age and you ask educated people what school they went to no one mentions HS. Medical schools care about MCAT, and GPA leadership and EC's. You will be fine. You can mention it in your personal I did. I dropped out of HS because I enjoyed hanging out, at least your reasoning is more sane. Good Luck

 

[andrewexd]

Some states have a high school equivalence exam like the california high school proficiency exam. By law they have to be recognized the same as a high school diploma so I would check it out. A GED and a high school diploma is not the same....

 

[nicolemsm]

Idk your situation or how the Midwest runs their school system, but why don't you opt for an online/ charter school HIGH SCHOOL diploma? You can do the work at your own pace and still have the option of saying you have you high school diploma. I attended traditional public schools until my 2nd semster of junior year and opted to finish up my high school career early on, take a larger load (additional online courses) and I graduated a year before my cohort from a charter online school. Idk if you'd be interested in that kind of route? I graduated when I was 16, I'm now 17 and at a pretty decent CC. Starting off at a CC won't hinder your education at all, I think it is a good start for you. It will be an easier transition from high school, and plus it will be great to build slowly versus going directly to a university and potentially getting lost. Best of luck.

 

[skierbum]

You could always check into a correspondance school like American School (that is what I did) and you would still get a diploma by sending in your coursework. Or, you could do michigan virtual high school (or the = in your state), doing your work online. Both are very flexible, yet would quickly prepare you for normal college admission. If your school is crud, you can always get out of the ghetto by dual enrolling at a cc for college credit. Talk to your h.s. counselor about the options.

 

[skierbum]

By the way-I am just trying to tell you about other simple ways you can graduate that you might not know about.
Also, your status should not be med student-it should be pre-health or pre-med

 

[Eare]

Thanks for the help everyone

 

[docB]

So I still don't know if you're in HS and thinking of dropping out and going GED or if you're already out and considering GED.

Certainly if you're not in HS a GED is a good idea.

If you're still in HS actually graduating would be the best option. You alluded to being in a ghetto school. If you're in a place that is dangerous I can certainly understand wanting to get out and doing GED as an option. If you just don't want to continue HS and are looking at GED for that reason I suggest being careful.

A lot of people have dropped out figuring they would study on their own and get their GED and the continue on with whatever they wanted to do. The problem is that once you're not in school anymore the temptation to goof off, not study, not complete things and get involved with jobs or things that will sidetrack you are tough to ignore. A lot of people wind up in some menial job and never get their GED. Ten years later they look up and they've got nothing and no options.

 

[Eare]

So I still don't know if you're in HS and thinking of dropping out and going GED or if you're already out and considering GED.

Certainly if you're not in HS a GED is a good idea.

If you're still in HS actually graduating would be the best option. You alluded to being in a ghetto school. If you're in a place that is dangerous I can certainly understand wanting to get out and doing GED as an option. If you just don't want to continue HS and are looking at GED for that reason I suggest being careful.

A lot of people have dropped out figuring they would study on their own and get their GED and the continue on with whatever they wanted to do. The problem is that once you're not in school anymore the temptation to goof off, not study, not complete things and get involved with jobs or things that will sidetrack you are tough to ignore. A lot of people wind up in some menial job and never get their GED. Ten years later they look up and they've got nothing and no options.

I'm out of HS now, the school was getting way to dangerous. Right now I'm studying constantly and enrolled into a GED program for adults. I'm also 18 BTW. I do have 2 jobs, but I'm to focus on becoming a doctor to much to let anything get in my way.

 

[FutureOrthoDoc]

See if you can find a CC that has an adult HS diploma program. That is what I did. Left high school at 18 being several credits short. Could have just gotten my GED, but in my mind, it wasn't enough. Went back 1 year later and finished requirements for the high school diploma. Don't regret it for a minute.

 

[hallian]

It won't at all. If you can spin the reason smart kid vs. ghetto thing properly, it might even be an advantage.

Eh...sort of. It's certainly preferable to do your pre-reqs at a 4-year school, but you won't get automatically rejected for having done them at a CC. A good GPA and MCAT score will still be all you need.

I've seen some crazy things on SDN, but I don't believe I've ever run across anyone recommending against educating yourself.

GPA and MCAT score is what you need but not all you need, Medical Schools also like volenteering, shadowing, and EC'S