Info. on college preparation

4 yrs. undergrad, 4 yrs Medical School, 4 yrs Anesthesia (intern + CA-1/2/3), fellowships usually are 1 yr (optional but many suggest), so, 12+ post-H.S. years

 

I too am in High School and intested in Anesthesiology. LurkNoMore is absolutely right, you will need four years of undergraduate, four years of medical school (MD/DO), four years of an Anesthesia recidency + one year of fellowship. Good luck.

 

What has 2 different H.S. students so interested in anesthesiology? I am a 3rd year medical student still trying to figure out if anesthesia is right for me, what is driving you guys into the field so early on, i.e. 12+ yrs. out? (not criticizing, just trying to figure things out for myself)

 

The only shortcut is that you don't necessarily need 4 years of undergrad. Some people can graduate in 3 years with a heavy workload and summer classes. I'm also not 100% certain that you need a degree to get into med school if you somehow got all the pre-reqs out of the way and had a stellar application.

But yeah, 4 years of med school and 4 years of residency are hard and fast rules.

 

Enjoy your college life - it will be the best four years of your life!!!!! Try not to look so far ahead in the future that you loose having fun in the present. I REALLY wish I could go back to undegrad.

 

I knew I wanted to do anesthesia in high school- keep an open mind but ignore the people who think you're crazy for knowing already. (I'd done summer research program that put me in the OR the whole time, and my HS had an affiliation with the local teaching hospital where a few of us did observerships half the day for our jr and sr years.)

I would caution you not to do the BS-MD programs, where you apply NOW to a 6 year combined college and medical school degree. Go to a 4 year college, work hard, and have fun. It will help keep your options open even if you're 100% sure you want to do medicine, plus I think the intellectual and emotional growth you undergo in those 4 years is invaluable. Good luck!

 

I would agree that undergrad is a great time and you should definitely enjoy those years, esp by traveling abroad and whatnot. However, I have an opinion on combined BS/MD programs as I was initially a part of one at one time. First of all, MANY combined programs are not 6 year programs - there are a number of programs that are 7-8 years in length (3-4 years undergrad, 4 year medical school). Second, along the same lines, MANY are binding - in the sense that if you decide to go to that program, you cannot apply out to other medical schools and must go to that program. The program I was a part of, fortunately, was not binding, so I applied out like everyone else but did not risk forfeiting my spot. I got into a MUCH better medical school, and am happy for that now. Again, along the same lines, I know people in my program who continued with the program, but would have had NO CHANCE of getting into a decent medical school or medical school at all had they not been a part of the program. I think in a lot of ways combined med programs are great things for the people who get accepted, but I've seen too many people go to medical school who probably would not have gotten in had they not been in these combined programs. If you HONESTLY feel there's no way you wouldn't get into medical school, then go to a place for undergrad you would really love. But if you can get into these programs, the guarantee of going to medical school is something that's hard to beat (with the exception of those aforementioned 6 year programs which tend to be pretty intense, and at that point, you can't turn back from medicine b/c your credits most likely will not transfer). So take all advice with a grain of salt and good luck.

 

agreed they can have their advantages, but of the 10 or so people I started undergrad with that 100% swear on their lives wanted to go to med school, 2 of us even applied- the rest switched. none of them would have been "that one" if asked ahead of time. good luck!