Introduction

[fpr85]

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Hello, I realize that this probably isn't the right area to be posting this but I couldn't find any alternatives in the forum. I mostly wanted to introduce myself because I intend on becoming an active member of the forums, I also am seeking advice. First off, I am a nineteen year old male and am currently attending a community college, and my passion and dream, like all of you (presumably) is to become a doctor. Why exactly do I want to become a doctor... well that's something hard to explain, I could say something like "because I like to help people out", etc. not only is that lame but it's what any Joe would say. Although this probably isn't original in itself, I suppose deep down inside my passion for the sciences and my enjoyment of interacting with people and their problems is leading me in the direction of becoming a doctor... of course this may very well in a day (well maybe not), week, year etc. like I'm sure it has for many others before me. Like I mentioned earlier, I am attending a comm. college as a "freshman" and would like to head in the direction of becoming a doctor. I've been reading posts for weeks without registering for the forums and I have to admit that everything seems so overwhelming! Quite frankly I don't know what half the threads are about. As a result, I'll probably be more of a reader than a poster in the forums. Does anyone have any recommendations on "how to head in the right direction"... at least from where my stand point is now (a freshman in college... I will eventually transfer to a four-year institution). I plan on taking several science/math courses next semester, and it won't be a pain of any sort because I love science... even though I'm not necessarily a "genius" at it, and despite the fact that many things don't "click" or come easy to me. I've already read a few articles on "Becoming a doctor" on about.com and let me just say that it seems like a combination of excitement, frustration, and relief, I must say that I salute most of you for having to endure such aggravation. Well once again, I just wanted to say "hi" and just say a few things... and like I said, I'll probably be doing more reading than posting since I can't really lend my expertise on anything at this point in life. And might I add, the MCAT looks like it's going to be a real bitch!

Cheers,
fpr

 

[superdevil]

welcome to SDN. 👍

a few brief words: SDN has lots of highly-qualified applicants posting on very anal-retentive topics. don't let it bother you if the people on SDN seem like they're really ahead of you/better prepared/blah blah blah. it will drive you crazy (hell, it seems like i've been here forever, and it still drives me crazy).

also, if you want a general guide on "how to head in the right direction", buy a book on the topic at a local barnes & noble (kaplan and some other companies make decent guides). when you have school/situation-specific questions that those books don't answer, that's where SDN comes in. don't be afraid to ask for advice, we've all done it a million times!

sd

 

[liverotcod]

Welcome to a fellow Virginian.

Sounds like your motivation is pretty darn good. My advice would be to follow EvoDevo's key's to success (in my sig below):
1) be Kind - this really isn't a rat race, and helping others out through the process just makes you stronger.
2) be Lucky - I guess you can't really cultivate this, but it sure helps. So GOOD LUCK!
3) engage in humanitarian Extracurriculars. Sports and theater are fine, but don't help with med school admissions nearly as well as volunteering at a hospital, soup kitchen or free clinic.
4) study Smart - focus your study: no distractions. Do the reading BEFORE the lecture, then study the lecture material the same night. Don't wait until the day before the exam.
5) study Hard - you have to get good grades to go to med school. Period. Mostly A's. So set your goals and standards high, but don't freak out about a single bad test or a single B or C.
6) by Humble - there will always be smarter students and harder workers than you out there. Just do your best and treat people, including yourself, with respect.

Best wishes. Don't be a lurker! Being a newbie is fine, just ask questions and be prepared to take and give advice. People with good intentions rarely get flamed.

 

[VPDcurt]

welcome fpr. where in VA are you guys?

 

[fpr85]

Thankyou for the warm welcome and great advice! 🙂
First of all let me say wow, I'm quite shocked at how fast this thread moved to the bottom! I have really started to focus this year on school work compared to how I was in highschool, unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to quit my job... but it will be for the best (I make dirt for money anyways). My current classes are Biology, Economics, Accounting, and English (I also took CHM 101 over the Summer but only scored a B in it, mostly because I was working 40 hours a week past 1 am in the morning, I was borderline with an 88% and needed a 97% on the final exam to score an A, I got a 93%... I was hoping the teacher would give me the A for perfect attendance and I also told him I was working my butt off to get an A... guess he didn't sympathize for me, but then again I think it only right to get an A if you truly deserve it).

Next semester I plan on focusing more on Science (especially since it interests me way more): BIO 102, CHM 111, Calculus, and ENG 112.

Curious to know, if you guys/gals did, where did you attend your 4-year institution? I'm still deciding where to apply, my highschool grades scores weren't too great, and my SAT scores just average so I'll have to see how I do at the local comm. college first.

Liverotcod: What is the URL to EvoDevo's guide to pre-med success, the link in your signature doesn't work.

EDIT: Silly me, the guide was in the signature itself
"Kind, be Lucky, humanitarian Extracurriculars, study Smart, study Hard, be Humble" 😛

For the personal info, I'm located in Northern Virginia, Annandale to be exact.