help me with my current status please.

[Genetic]

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Currently I am a junior in High School. I know this may be a little early to be on SDN but I was just curious one day when I was bored and I knew I wanted to be in the medical field so I bumped into this site. I am enrolled in a school in New York City that is viewed as one of the best High Schools in the city. I have a 80-81 average as of now. The reason to why my average is so low is because I slacked off a lot and I finally came into my senses. I'm doing a lot better now ( study-wise and homework-wise ). I want to know if there are any recommendations to what I can do to shape up my future ? Are there any good colleges in New York City only that offer decent pre-med courses. Also I wondered if it was ever too early to start volunteering. I figured I would start volunteering soon and continue it till the end of my college year where I would apply for medical school.

Please give me some pointers on what I should do, how to improve my chances of doing well in college, and most importantly getting into medical school. Thank you SDN for your time and rest-assured I am fully committed now. 🙂

 

[MilkmanAl]

I think most people would consider NYU and Columbia decent schools. 😛 The sad truth of the med school pre-reqs is that they don't prepare you at all for med school, so functionally, you're not really any better off at the best school in the universe than anywhere else. Med schools value GPA far more than school name and reputation, so attend a school you can succeed at.

Volunteering now is unnecessary. You're obviously getting involved just to check that box on your med school application, so don't bother wasting your time now. You'll have plenty of time to rack up the volunteering hours you need during college.

You don't need to be fully committed to medicine now. In fact, I don't think you should be. Keep an open mind during college, and take a bunch of different classes. You never know what you might be interested in.

 

[Genetic]

I know for sure that I want to become a doctor and achieve a MD. As of now I don't have a good enough average to go to a decent school. I'm trying my best and I have 3 set of grades to change everything. However from what i read around SDN all that is necessary is that I go to a college that can teach my pre reqs so I can do well on the MCAT.

 

[SDSU EB]

Don't have too high of expectations on a prestigious college. Find someplace you are comfortable at.

I don't know a whole lot about NYC schools beyond the top schools, so I'm of little help in college choice. But be aware that a lot of schools are cutting back on admissions and are less willing to accept lower GPA students even if they have merit.

Med schools have said they could care less where your undergrad is, for the most part they understand that a lot of factors come into play with your undergraduate location, from family issues, financial issues, the woes of your personal life when you were 14, etc. Everyone makes mistakes when they were 14, and med schools aren't going to penalize you for something that happened 8 years ago that affected where your going to school as long as you have shown that you can handle the sciences, you have a good GPA and you are active.

I applaud you on your plan to hit the ground running wherever you go. Good luck and work hard!

 

[Genetic]

thank you does anyone else have anymore opinions ?

 

[laurance]

hi dear!!!! i was reading what you wrotte and i was thinking i am not alone here; you see you are younger than i am sooo.... if you think!!!.... you want to become a doctor them ask yourself why i want to become one? is because prestigious honors, money, or to provide services to the ones need the most. Look yourself in the mirror and said i want to become a doctor because....and then you see!!! what that image of your will tell you. do you wealling to go to the longer journey to be one? doctor is a gift tha not all the people have. Doctor is a person that service people to cure them to save life, to give the wright diagnost, the correct deseases, and cure them and much more out there... i am 31 years old i am in the word of nursing as degree but now...i found myself more wanting to become a doctor i am looking forward in to medical school because that is what i want to be.... you are young so study all science courses!! biology, physics, all organic quemistry,and more so get people like you that is interested in health groups. find doctors ask them anything get them as role models... forget britney spear!!!! dude go to hospitals and see public services out there you could do to explore and see if you like it, not because is nessesary but because you need to see if you like the ''enviroment" of hospitals, and services they have. if you get to med school comgratulation!!!!!! take it really seriously!!! my dear this schools are nooo... jokes they will take many years of your life for the white wisdon coat that I am sure you will!!! wear i hope to see you there because ia ma going to be one too. god help us godisbig

 

[wr8487]

The CUNY schools such as Hunter and City College are good options as well. There very affordable, and are very good schools.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

If you go to Stuy, BS, BTHS, or Townsend. Chances are....you will score decent on the SATs, and everything else would be ok.

Try for CUNY honors, if not just go to regular CUNY....then go for a year, get a 3.8++, and then apply to college again. sure they will see your 80 GPA in highschool...but they will also see you with a 3.8+ in college and not to mention SAT scores, EC's and everything else. Thats what i did lol, but then i came to money issue, so make sure your prepared to pay the big bills if you want to transfer to prestigious schools in NYC.

 

[gljkzaCm]

I went to stuy and found that volunteering was almost a must in order to get into a 'good' college and to distinguish you from other college applicants. Also, although volunteering is not necessary, admissions committees like to see a long history of volunteering. 👍