I don't know if I want to be a doctor and I don't know if or when I should take prerequisites

[Blueberry17]

I don't know if I want to be a doctor or not. I feel like I would love seeing patients and being able to diagnose what is wrong with them and being able to see them get better. I'm also fascinated by the human body and I want to know how everything works. My mom is a pathologist and she's taken me to work with her. I like the grossing and being able to touch the specimen, and I also like gross part of autopsy (especially seeing all the parts in a human) but I hated the microscope work. I also shadowed a radiologist, and I liked seeing the x-ray images of stuff, but I was bored by it (I guess because I didn't really know what I was seeing). I get really excited by seeing videos on YouTube of surgeries, though. I'm going to be a college freshman this fall and I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should start taking the medical school prerequisites. Should I take some freshman year, and if so, which ones? Also, how do I determine if I want to be a doctor or not? Any help is appreciated.

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[Jav116]

Shadowing is key, you mentioned some things you like and others you dislike and thats all part of the process.

I shadowed both a surgeon and family practitioner and I enjoyed seeing the surgeries a lot more. One thing to keep in mind besides the actual work, is their lifestyle, family practitioners for the most part do not live as much of a hectic life as a surgeon.. Etc

I would continue to shadow and ask yourself if you see yourself doing this type of work long term(not just for a couple weeks). I would also consider starting my pre reqs, bio is a good start, and even though you sound uncertain I would try to do very well in the course and see if science is also another aspect of medicine you can appreciate.

In a nutshell, I would just get started and you will realize if this is the path for you!

Hope this helps!


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[Monkey.King]

You should do research on what it's like to be a doctor. Researching what specialties interest you the most would be a good start. And then try to shadow real doctors. Also, try and start to get clinical exposure. Even looking around the medical student and resident forums around here could be a good start. I can't offer help on what classes to take, but it wouldn't hurt to start on one.

 

[TheRhymenocerous]

I would personally recommend holding off on pre-reqs until you feel a little more certain/excited about medicine. It's easier to motivate yourself to study when you know it's what you want to do and it's easier to do well in basic science classes when you have a little more college under your belt! You generally only need 4 semesters to knock out the science classes, so there isn't as much of a rush as you might think.

 

[Turkishking]

I would volunteer.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

I agree. Do some research, shadow, and volunteer! Rads and path are both fairly unique in that they don't always involve a ton of patient contact. I would try a few different specialties--maybe throw in some family medicine private practice, some EM, and anything else you think might interest you. Since you have a doctor in the family, see if your mom can pull some strings and set you up with a shadowing opportunity in another specialty.

I don't think it's necessarily a BAD idea to start taking 1 or 2 prereqs but you're also only a freshman. If I were you, I would keep my options open. I was unsure about medicine when I entered college. One of the most exciting parts of undergrad for me was discovering loads of new interests I had never even considered. It may seem to some like a waste of time but I actually learned a lot and ended up right back where I thought I would be: medicine! Just don't pigeonhole yourself by thinking that you have to continue down this path once you start. It's okay if you find something else you enjoy!

 

[DaisyC]

I definitely agree that you should keep shadowing and exploring whether medicine is right for you. Since most schools require some sort of science class to graduate, I don't think it would hurt to go ahead and take gen chem in your first year. That way you'll still be on track to go to medical school if you decide you do want to be a doctor. If you decide medicine isn't right for you then you'll at least have your science credit met. Good luck!

 

[Goro]

More specifically, volunteer with patients.

I would volunteer.

 

[Turkishking]

More specifically, volunteer with patients.

Indeed

 

[Lee Ik-jun MD]

I don't know if I want to be a doctor or not. I feel like I would love seeing patients and being able to diagnose what is wrong with them and being able to see them get better. I'm also fascinated by the human body and I want to know how everything works. My mom is a pathologist and she's taken me to work with her. I like the grossing and being able to touch the specimen, and I also like gross part of autopsy (especially seeing all the parts in a human) but I hated the microscope work. I also shadowed a radiologist, and I liked seeing the x-ray images of stuff, but I was bored by it (I guess because I didn't really know what I was seeing). I get really excited by seeing videos on YouTube of surgeries, though. I'm going to be a college freshman this fall and I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should start taking the medical school prerequisites. Should I take some freshman year, and if so, which ones? Also, how do I determine if I want to be a doctor or not? Any help is appreciated.

since you like dealing with patients.
i suggest Nursing or Physician Assistant school.
if in the end you still like the work, then apply for med school

the advantage of the 2 versus your typical pre-med courses is that they can practice and do primary care.
Nurse can be a APRN/ Nurse Practitioner and see patients independently.
so does a PA.

Pathologist and Radiologist don't really give you a good picture of what a "doctor" does.
when people think of "doctors", they're referring to Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, OB-GYN, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, General Surgery and even Psychiatry.

so, volunteer. shadow any of these specialties

 

[raiderette]

If you are going to take any prereqs, start with Gen Chem in order to easily get the required chemistry material for the MCAT in if you want to be a traditional applicant. You could also do staking psych or sociology for required gen Ed classes. Even if you don't pursue medicine you will have covered classes that you probably needed. Then volunteer and shadow to decide.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

since you like dealing with patients.
i suggest Nursing or Physician Assistant school.
if in the end you still like the work, then apply for med school

the advantage of the 2 versus your typical pre-med courses is that they can practice and do primary care.
Nurse can be a APRN/ Nurse Practitioner and see patients independently.
so does a PA.

Personally, I think a better idea would be to shadow some NPs or PAs. The scope of practice is different and I think it can be worth it to see what the differences are even if you're certain that you want to be a doctor. But I wouldn't recommend viewing either career path as a stepping stone to becoming a doctor or as a way to see if medicine is right for you. The jobs are different. And even though both PA and NP school are shorter than medical school, they're still fairly competitive and expensive! There are definitely NPs/PAs out there who eventually decide to become doctors but I think it's always best to at least try to figure out what it is that you want in the first place without all the costly trial and error.

 

[kenalvann]

If you are going to take any prereqs, start with Gen Chem in order to easily get the required chemistry material for the MCAT in if you want to be a traditional applicant. You could also do staking psych or sociology for required gen Ed classes. Even if you don't pursue medicine you will have covered classes that you probably needed. Then volunteer and shadow to decide.

+1. Also keep in mind, as you complete pre-reqs that many of these classes are first steps in great science careers. After spending time in Chem classes, I realized that if medicine didn't work out, I would LOVE to pursue a career in Chem/Chem engineering.
In other words, have fun with the pre-med course of study, and keep an open mind.

 

[AnotherLawyer]

I don't know if I want to be a doctor or not. I feel like I would love seeing patients and being able to diagnose what is wrong with them and being able to see them get better. I'm also fascinated by the human body and I want to know how everything works. My mom is a pathologist and she's taken me to work with her. I like the grossing and being able to touch the specimen, and I also like gross part of autopsy (especially seeing all the parts in a human) but I hated the microscope work. I also shadowed a radiologist, and I liked seeing the x-ray images of stuff, but I was bored by it (I guess because I didn't really know what I was seeing). I get really excited by seeing videos on YouTube of surgeries, though. I'm going to be a college freshman this fall and I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should start taking the medical school prerequisites. Should I take some freshman year, and if so, which ones? Also, how do I determine if I want to be a doctor or not? Any help is appreciated.

If you're on the fence about what you want to do in life, use your freshman year to take courses that interest you and don't worry about your prereqs. Focus on figuring out what you want to do and maximizing your GPA. You have eight semesters, plus summers, to complete four or five semesters' worth of courses. With that said, if you have any serious interest in going to medical school, do the prereqs while you're a regular college student. It becomes significantly harder to juggle them and other premed activities once you start another career.

 

[Dandine]

@Blueberry17 Good luck with college this coming fall! Just some personal thoughts:

-It would be a good idea to take the pre-reqs, even if you've placed out in high school; when you take upper levels, you will see similar concepts again, which will help indirectly prepare you for the MCAT. Some people will argue that it's worth it to skip the pre-reqs to do upper level sciences that you may enjoy more. Ultimately it depends on the person, but you'll have a basic foundation if you go this route. Plus taking them earlier will help as you start layering more classes in your later semesters. You do have time though if you want to take them later, but especially if you end up interested in a science major, taking them earlier will help make that option easier.

-@raiderette mentioned psych and soc; these subjects are on the MCAT so these will be helpful to add one of them into your schedule at some point. At the very least one of them will give you a social sci credit, depending on what you need for your specific college.

-You'll have to get patient volunteering hours in regardless of what kind of healthcare field you go into (EDIT: mainly talking about nursing, PA, medicine here), so get into a clinical venue ASAP. Little by little the hours will add up and help you in the long run. Agree with people here about finding other specialties to shadow for how doctors interact with patients directly.

-As for whether you'll know whether or not you want to be a doctor, that will be something you'll be thinking about through college. One thing I'd say though is that much of what you do in school will end up determining your interests as much as the other way around, so the stuff you do as a "pre-med" (volunteering, shadowing, science courses) will help you shape your interest in medicine. You may decide while doing them that you don't want to pursue medicine--that's okay! But keep an open mind, and find trusted mentors (e.g. doctors, professors, advisors) that can help you through your learning process.

 

[Dr.Forssmann]

I feel like I would love seeing patients and being able to diagnose what is wrong with them and being able to see them get better. I'm also fascinated by the human body and I want to know how everything works. My mom is a pathologist and she's taken me to work with her. I like the grossing and being able to touch the specimen, and I also like gross part of autopsy (especially seeing all the parts in a human) but I hated the microscope work. I also shadowed a radiologist, and I liked seeing the x-ray images of stuff, but I was bored by it (I guess because I didn't really know what I was seeing). I get really excited by seeing videos on YouTube of surgeries, though.

from this it sounds to me your pretty set on medicine. You have numerous reasons why you want to pursue it. it fascinates you; it excites you; it gets you pumped up. don't waste anymore time pursue it with all your heart and soul. Medicine isn't for people who are unsure of themselves. you either go all the way or you don't make it. if you expanded on these things more you could practically turn it into an application essay rofl.

'm going to be a college freshman this fall and I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should start taking the medical school prerequisites.

yeah I mean if your going to be premed like I said its not an easy road you have to be 100% dedicated to it or you won't make it. ALOT of people falter. I recommend starting off strong. Not messing around getting your prereq's done. Acing your classes. nailing the MCAT. Plan your 15 activities that your going to be putting on AMCAS.

. Should I take some freshman year, and if so, which ones?

definitely. I would talk to your school advisor about it. and also google prereqs for medical school. I'm sure there are tons of articles out there about this.

Also, how do I determine if I want to be a doctor or not?

From what i understand about becoming a doctor, it almost never comes down to one single thing; in fact, its a myriad number of things that all point you in the direction. there may be things you don't like about medicine, but at the same time there are a ton of other things that make you love it, which overwelm those bad things. at the same time, for you, the bad may overwelm the good. but i think there is no one point for anyone where you can say you absolutely want to do medicine. you'll always be unsure of your decision and you'll always feel random pangs of regret about things. pangs that always go away especially when you think about the degree of beauty and perfection within the practice. what matters is the decision and to pursue it and to use the little things that spark your enthusiasm to support that decision.

some things to consider that come to mind off the top of my head: if you have the drive for it. you have a system of support. its what you want. you understand the sacrifice it takes to become one. you understand the degree of responsibility that comes with it. do you think you could handle it? do you have what it takes?

these things you answer over time as you gain experiences and you observe things you admire about medicine. As more time passes and the more you get involved the more you'll admire it.

 

[hamstergang]

since you like dealing with patients.
i suggest Nursing or Physician Assistant school.
if in the end you still like the work, then apply for med school

the advantage of the 2 versus your typical pre-med courses is that they can practice and do primary care.

This is basically nonsense. In order to get into PA school, you need many of the same pre-reqs as medical school, so it won't really change your undergrad at all. Plus, you'd need some real health care experience in order to get accepted to PA school. OP would have to start some job now to have a chance. And he hasn't shadowed a PA to see if it's something he'd like so why commit to that now?

To be an NP, you have to first be a nurse in general. So it's not like you get flexibility by avoiding pre-med pre-reqs; you instead have to go to nursing school. Does OP want to be a nurse? If not, then going to nursing school is a terrible idea.

And in the end, both NP and PA are careers separate from being a doctor. Why would you suggest wasting all that time pursuing such a degree and working in a job just to see if you'd like a different job?

The only reasonable answer to the OP is to shadow more doctors to see if it's something you like. Meanwhile, take the pre-med pre-reqs so you don't fall behind. You can always change your mind and the extra bio course won't have killed you.

 

[Lee Ik-jun MD]

Nonsense (?) i don't think so.

from the OP

"I don't know if I want to be a doctor or not. I feel like I would love seeing patients and being able to diagnose what is wrong with them and being able to see them get better. I'm also fascinated by the human body and I want to know how everything works"

the Nurse Practioner and Physician asssistant route is an alternative route if the OP doesn't have the money/time/commitment for undergrad/medschool/residency/fellowship.
PA school is 18-22 months
NP school is 1-2 years after you get your BSN


Here in California, i have worked with a lot of mid level providers ( NP and PA)who are doing primary care. They have so much autonomy that most patients confuse them as MDs.
They write prescriptions, can do your referral to a specialist etc..
And i know a couple of PA who are in the surgical field and they love it.

The point is, there are a lot of profession that lets you see patients if that what makes you happy and fulfilled... minus the 6 figure student loan in the end.
and NP's salary is close to 6 figures, $95,000 ish depending on where you are.

 

[hamstergang]

the Nurse Practioner and Physician asssistant route is an alternative route if the OP doesn't have the money/time/commitment for undergrad/medschool/residency/fellowship.

Sure, these are fine fields to go into. But to suggest them as ways to avoid pre-med pre-reqs and to see if you want to be a doctor is ridiculous. You should pursue those fields if that's what you want to do, not if you're not sure if you want to commit to being a doctor. Suggesting these fields doesn't solve any of the problems OP has:

1) It doesn't help him know what being a doctor is like. He learns that from shadowing (at least, that's the best he can do at this time).
2) It doesn't help him avoid pre-reqs, really. Either he needs pre-reqs and some health care job in order to go to PA school, or he has to do a nursing program and be an actual nurse in order to go to NP school.

OP can certainly investigate these fields and see if they appeal to him, but as stepping stones to medicine they're just a waste of time.