How young can you be premed?

[lorenzomicron]

It's an article about a school starting to teach medicine in the 7th grade. It's kinda crazy.



http://www.parentdish.com/2010/06/23/schools-groundbreaking-pre-med-program-begins-in-sixth-grade/?icid=main|netscape|dl2|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parentdish.com%2F2010%2F06%2F23%2Fschools-groundbreaking-pre-med-program-begins-in-sixth-grade%2F

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[unhappytnt]

This is the stupidest thing I have ever read.

Tony Hansberry, 15, a Darnell-Cookman 10th grader, made the news when he was asked to demonstrate a new suturing technique he developed to a roomful of doctors at Northside Hospital in Atlanta this week, ABC News reports.

But some question whether kids as young as 12 can handle a medical education

tells ABC the balance between work and play is what's critical.

Balancing work and play? When you are 12? Really?

 

[csmmedic]

I was a premed in the womb, man, IN THE WOMB.

Please note the heavy sarcasm.

Btw, I hate these programs that "teach medicine" to kids. Ridiculous. When a student is in 11th or 12th grade and they are passionate about entering medicine in the future as a career, they can shadow a doctor or volunteer at a free clinic.

I was reading about a high school that called itself a medical high school or something and taught medicine to student in addition to their normal curriculum. Hogwash, bloody nonsense. Be a kid and worry about your career later. Biggest mistake of my life was becoming an EMT at 18 and a medic at 20. Threw away a lot of time i could have spent being a kid and burned myself out. Get your high school and college experience then worry about medicine. god knows you will have enough time to think about it during medical school and residency.

 

[schrizto]

Premed is a mindset... so you're premed when you want to be a doctor.

My high school was a magnet school that focused on medical careers. Everyone there was premed.

 

[Forven]

my sister started med school when she was 17.

you are a pre-med when you decide to do all the ECs to wow an AdCom.

 

[NickNaylor]

Everyone THINKS they want to be pre-med. Unless you've had lots of exposure to the medical career before and have a strong work ethic, I don't think you can know for sure that you want to become a doctor. Thus, a majority of pre-meds change to something else (at least at my institution).

 

[Chemdude]

Too bad these fools don't know that you can't list pre-College activities on AMCAS

BTW, if you think these guys are ahead of the game, you have to check out the 7 yo surgeon:

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQif24jIGWY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Hansberry has mastered suturing, as it's a part of the eighth grade curriculum at Darnell-Cookman, according to ABC.

Hansberry wants to be a physician, and tells ABC the experience he'll get from attending Darnell-Cookman will give him a leg up on other pre-med students when he gets to college.

"I've had four years of medicine already," he tells ABC. "(Darnell-Cookman students) will be entering medical school with a vast knowledge that no other freshman will have. They'll have to change the curriculum to fit us in."

Sorry Hansberry, knowing how to suture will not help you in your intro science courses in college. Also, they won't need to change the curriculum to fit you in...especially if you're that cocky in the interview.

 

[deleted307836]

This 12-year-old got a full scholarship to Uchicago's med school:

At age 12, it's off to medical school

 

[NickNaylor]

This 12-year-old got a full scholarship to Uchicago's med school:

At age 12, it's off to medical school

I was surprised to see that the kid doesn't come across as a super tool (at least that's how the article presents him).

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Too bad these fools don't know that you can't list pre-College activities on AMCAS

A. There is nothing on the AMCAS that says you can't mention pre-college activities in your primary. If it's something significant that shows your interest in medicine or the medical field, then yeah, put it on there.

B. Taking part in premed stuff at a younger age probably increases students chances of getting in a undergrad/MD program because it shows your interest in the field already.

 

[Chemdude]

This 12-year-old got a full scholarship to Uchicago's med school:

At age 12, it's off to medical school

Wow. I bet medical school really sucked for him. I doubt that he had any friends. Personally, I wouldn't hang around with a 12 yo, even if s/he was a genius.

Oh well, he's 19 now...

 

[DirtyJustice]

A. There is nothing on the AMCAS that says you can't mention pre-college activities in your primary. If it's something significant that shows your interest in medicine or the medical field, then yeah, put it on there.

B. Taking part in premed stuff at a younger age probably increases students chances of getting in a undergrad/MD program because it shows your interest in the field already.

I am sure it will also increase your chance of being burnt out way to early.

 

[Electronegative]

Suturing at 8th grade

This thread reminds me of family guy episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIDmoBmCYD0

EN

 

[Perrotfish]

Y'all are overthinking this. It's just a way to get kids interested in science and medicine so that they don't end up majoring in Journalism. I was in the 'junior engineering technical society' in HS, which made infinitely less sense than shadowing or learning to suture. At least he HS kid can understand a little basic medicine. I was still years away from understanding engineering math in any way.

 

[morning]

I've always felt that our schools need to provide more support for things outside of standardized testing. It's not like this kid is performing surgery or something. Those who want to learn life skills in high school should be able to do so without having to worry about all the useless stuff that is piled on their shoulders.

 

[familyaerospace]

My high school was a magnet program for pre-med, pre-engineering, and general science. I'm convinced that the exposure was very positive. Most people realised early that they hated medicine, but it did give them a leg up getting into college. For those who were still interested, many of them started clinical volunteering in high school and continued into college.

Then there were people like me that were in the science magnet program and then later realised they wanted to go premed. It was still good exposure.