Questions from a prospective future doctor (going into fresh. year of undergrad)

[bobert5696]

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A little about myself, im 18, a senior in high school. I know I want to be a doctor, there is about a .01% chance that will change during my undergrad. I am pretty set on it. I have a few questions for current med students/people who are close/people who have finished med school. These are just the first that came to mind, I will probably have more later.

How are you paying for it? Your undergrad + medschool? I come from a middle-middle class family and will not qualify for really any need-based scholarships. What can I do to further finance my education?

How much money do you make working for a residency? What are your hours like?

What other options do I have with an MD after med school if I didn't finish a residency?

What can I do if I don't get accepted into med school?

Any thoughts on the particular school Saint Louis University for under/grad school?

Saint Louis U offers a prog called Medical Scholars program, I've been accepted into it. For those who work hard enough it historically has a 98% acceptence rate into their med school. To stay in the prog you need to hold a 3.5 GPA, and a few other reqs. You apply to med school 2 years early, and the MCAT has no bearing on acceptance (you still have to take it) Does this sound like a good or bad program? Can you think of any pros/cons?

Thanks for your time
NJ

 

[mfrizzo3]

Loans. ~48K. Consulting. Re-Apply. It's Fine. Fine if you want to go there.

 

[loveoforganic]

1) You're considered indepent of your family for federal loans. If those aren't enough, you can seek private loans.

2) ~40k to 60k for residency, typically increasing as you progress. Time varies a lot from specialty to specialty (e.g. low end psychiatry, high end a surgery) and from program to program

3) Rep some pharmaceuticals. Work for insurance companies. Become a popular author.

4) Depends on your undergrad major and what you plan to do (follow another career, continue to try for medical school, etc.)

5) No thoughts.

6) It would probably make your undergrad time more enjoyable.

7) Be open to other things if they come your way.

 

[hippocraticoath]

A little about myself, im 18, a senior in high school. I know I want to be a doctor, there is about a .01% chance that will change during my undergrad. I am pretty set on it. I have a few questions for current med students/people who are close/people who have finished med school. These are just the first that came to mind, I will probably have more later.

How are you paying for it? Your undergrad + medschool? I come from a middle-middle class family and will not qualify for really any need-based scholarships. What can I do to further finance my education?

Hook up with a guy named Salvatore. Sell some high-end blow. If you're a girl, dress in skanky clothing, go work for the Emperor's Club and then sell some high end blow to your clients.

How much money do you make working for a residency? What are your hours like?

Not much. But there's lot of money to be made if you moonlight by working for Salvatore's friends.

What other options do I have with an MD after med school if I didn't finish a residency?

Sell drugs, pretend to be a doctor and sell penile enlargement pills.

What can I do if I don't get accepted into med school?

There's a lot of money to be made in porn. Especially gay porn 👍 You can always do that if you don't in.

Any thoughts on the particular school Saint Louis University for under/grad school?

Saint Louis U offers a prog called Medical Scholars program, I've been accepted into it. For those who work hard enough it historically has a 98% acceptence rate into their med school. To stay in the prog you need to hold a 3.5 GPA, and a few other reqs. You apply to med school 2 years early, and the MCAT has no bearing on acceptance (you still have to take it) Does this sound like a good or bad program? Can you think of any pros/cons?

Don't worry, you'll probably fail out long before you get to the point of graduating.

 

[randombetch]

If you graduate from a top MD program, maybe consulting firms would hire you...

Like this guy:
http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/who_is_mckinsey/who_we_are/our_people/consultant/diarra.aspx

 

[mvenus929]

I was fortunate enough to get a ton of scholarships (non need based), and my mom paid for the remainder of my undergrad. Med school will be exclusively loans. I'm dreading it, personally, but I'll manage.

40-50K, maybe a bit more depending on where you are and how long you've been in. There's technically a cap of an average of 80 hours a week. Some programs follow it less than others.

Dude, if you're going to go through the hell of medical school, just work on finishing that residency. If you don't think you'll make it through, find another career off that bat that will put you in less debt. There's always research, though.

Reapply. I did. If you still don't get in, go for something else.

Do it if you want. SLU looks like a great school, I just wasn't eligible to apply there.

Word of advice... even if you think you absolutely positively want to be a doc, make sure you take the time to explore some other careers in medicine. You may find that you like something more.

 

[Marcus Brody]

Saint Louis U offers a prog called Medical Scholars program, I've been accepted into it. For those who work hard enough it historically has a 98% acceptence rate into their med school. To stay in the prog you need to hold a 3.5 GPA, and a few other reqs. You apply to med school 2 years early, and the MCAT has no bearing on acceptance (you still have to take it) Does this sound like a good or bad program? Can you think of any pros/cons?

....wut


so you're accepted then? what is the point of this program.

 

[scrambizle]

A little about myself, im 18, a senior in high school. I know I want to be a doctor, there is about a .01% chance that will change during my undergrad. I am pretty set on it. I have a few questions for current med students/people who are close/people who have finished med school. These are just the first that came to mind, I will probably have more later.

How are you paying for it? Your undergrad + medschool? I come from a middle-middle class family and will not qualify for really any need-based scholarships. What can I do to further finance my education?

Apply for any scholarships, take out 200K in loans for med school lik the rest of us.

How much money do you make working for a residency? What are your hours like?

Here's a link to Marylands Internal Medicine salaries. You get paid more in bigger cities.
http://www.umm.edu/imres/sal_ben.htm
You'll work hard for 3-X years. Typical IM day as an intern (1st year resident) is from 6 -7 am - 5 or 6pm depending on the program. Then you either stay late or overnight every 4th night. Hours get a little better as a 2nd and 3rd year resident. Psych, Path, and Derm residencies are a little less intense, but you're still working very hard.

What other options do I have with an MD after med school if I didn't finish a residency?

Consulting?

What can I do if I don't get accepted into med school?

Keep applying. Become a PA (9-5 job, 100K salary, 2 years of grad school, no residency ... sigh).

Any thoughts on the particular school Saint Louis University for under/grad school?

Saint Louis U offers a prog called Medical Scholars program, I've been accepted into it. For those who work hard enough it historically has a 98% acceptence rate into their med school. To stay in the prog you need to hold a 3.5 GPA, and a few other reqs. You apply to med school 2 years early, and the MCAT has no bearing on acceptance (you still have to take it) Does this sound like a good or bad program? Can you think of any pros/cons?

Sounds great. If you do amazingly well in undergrad and on the MCAT, and decide you want to go to a place like WashU, can you withdraw from the program? Regardless, taking the MCAT just to get a minimum score sounds very nice. You still get four years of college?

Thanks for your time
NJ

 

[Morsetlis]

If you're a medical scholar, I suggest you stop going to message boards and start acing your classes to keep that ridiculously low GPA needed to matriculate.

The amounts of EC's and bull**** you don't have to do is insane.

 

[Janieve]

A little about myself, im 18, a senior in high school. I know I want to be a doctor, there is about a .01% chance that will change during my undergrad. I am pretty set on it. I have a few questions for current med students/people who are close/people who have finished med school. These are just the first that came to mind, I will probably have more later.

When I graduated high school, I traipsed on over to China and played my trumpet through four provinces. I was dead-set on entering the Peace Corps and really didn't even plan on college. When I entered college, I was going to major in applied linguistics and STILL join the Peace Corps.

Let me give you the same lecture every other high school student here gets from me (especially since I do peer advising in two departments):

1. You are a child. I know, you're eighteen. But I'll tell you this now: there is not some instant maturity reached upon the transition between seventeen and eighteen. You're still a kid, and that's something awesome. Go do stupid things while you can. Hang out with friends. Take a road trip. Go bungee jumping. Eat on your parents' dime and date high schoolers. Don't think too hard about college until you're actually IN college.

2. NOTHING is set in stone. You think there's a .01% chance that you WON'T go into medicine? I'd bump that up a bit. I'd say that there's a minimum 70% chance you will change your focus. You are doing yourself a disservice by not contemplating other fields. Who's to say you wouldn't be happy as an astronaut or a stockbroker? Maybe your life will be complete with a position as a restaurant owner. Who knows, you may become a PA or a nurse or something. Sure, it's great to have distinct goals. But let yourself have time to make them!

3. Don't follow a set course to the letter. Again, I planned to major in linguistics when I entered university. On my brother's advice, I took other classes - Japanese, anthropology, computer science, creative writing. I'm now currently working towards a double major in Japanese and Anthropology. Take classes in things you wouldn't have considered otherwise. Take psychology or horticulture. Maybe gender studies. Learn a language or take a class in political science. It might end up the best thing you ever did.

4. Take advantage of opportunities. Go wild. I never would've thought to be a doctor until I had to wait a year to give blood, and if I couldn't give blood, I figured I might as well give time. My volunteer experience with the Red Cross opened the door to health care for me, and subsequent exposure to the field is what made me decide to go into medicine. I also accepted an offer to study abroad (best experience of my life) and have attended conferences all around. Accepting invitations and taking advantage of opportunities presented to you will change your life, whether in small (using your own thermos instead of disposable cups at cafes) or big (pursuing a career you never even imagined) ways.

I hope this advice helps you! And like I said: every high schooler I come across gets some variation of this lecture. 😉

 

[Morsetlis]

I still can't give blood ;p

 

[DrSmooth]

When I graduated high school, I traipsed on over to China and played my trumpet through four provinces. I was dead-set on entering the Peace Corps and really didn't even plan on college. When I entered college, I was going to major in applied linguistics and STILL join the Peace Corps.

Let me give you the same lecture every other high school student here gets from me (especially since I do peer advising in two departments):

1. You are a child. I know, you're eighteen. But I'll tell you this now: there is not some instant maturity reached upon the transition between seventeen and eighteen. You're still a kid, and that's something awesome. Go do stupid things while you can. Hang out with friends. Take a road trip. Go bungee jumping. Eat on your parents' dime and date high schoolers. Don't think too hard about college until you're actually IN college.

2. NOTHING is set in stone. You think there's a .01% chance that you WON'T go into medicine? I'd bump that up a bit. I'd say that there's a minimum 70% chance you will change your focus. You are doing yourself a disservice by not contemplating other fields. Who's to say you wouldn't be happy as an astronaut or a stockbroker? Maybe your life will be complete with a position as a restaurant owner. Who knows, you may become a PA or a nurse or something. Sure, it's great to have distinct goals. But let yourself have time to make them!

3. Don't follow a set course to the letter. Again, I planned to major in linguistics when I entered university. On my brother's advice, I took other classes - Japanese, anthropology, computer science, creative writing. I'm now currently working towards a double major in Japanese and Anthropology. Take classes in things you wouldn't have considered otherwise. Take psychology or horticulture. Maybe gender studies. Learn a language or take a class in political science. It might end up the best thing you ever did.

4. Take advantage of opportunities. Go wild. I never would've thought to be a doctor until I had to wait a year to give blood, and if I couldn't give blood, I figured I might as well give time. My volunteer experience with the Red Cross opened the door to health care for me, and subsequent exposure to the field is what made me decide to go into medicine. I also accepted an offer to study abroad (best experience of my life) and have attended conferences all around. Accepting invitations and taking advantage of opportunities presented to you will change your life, whether in small (using your own thermos instead of disposable cups at cafes) or big (pursuing a career you never even imagined) ways.

I hope this advice helps you! And like I said: every high schooler I come across gets some variation of this lecture. 😉

OP, don't be too quick to dismiss this advice. It is the best you will get for at least a couple years.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i chuckle at college students calling 18 year olds "children"
but solid advice regardless.

 

[apumic]

i chuckle at college students calling 18 year olds "children"
but solid advice regardless.

Haha... gotta agree with you there!

Little do they realize that by the time you graduate from college 3-5 years is such a small difference in age and they will be hanging out w/ plenty of people who could call them "children" if they so desired (i.e., 6-8 years older instead of an average of 2...).

 

[PranBobbyJohnny]

Do the SLU program, but don't be complacent. Try to get around 3.8+ instead of 3.5+, do well on the MCAT, and you should be good for not just SLU but most med schools.

And SLU is a good school

 

[Planet Ocean]

When I graduated high school, I traipsed on over to China and played my trumpet through four provinces. I was dead-set on entering the Peace Corps and really didn't even plan on college. When I entered college, I was going to major in applied linguistics and STILL join the Peace Corps.

Let me give you the same lecture every other high school student here gets from me (especially since I do peer advising in two departments):

1. You are a child. I know, you're eighteen. But I'll tell you this now: there is not some instant maturity reached upon the transition between seventeen and eighteen. You're still a kid, and that's something awesome. Go do stupid things while you can. Hang out with friends. Take a road trip. Go bungee jumping. Eat on your parents' dime and date high schoolers. Don't think too hard about college until you're actually IN college.

2. NOTHING is set in stone. You think there's a .01% chance that you WON'T go into medicine? I'd bump that up a bit. I'd say that there's a minimum 70% chance you will change your focus. You are doing yourself a disservice by not contemplating other fields. Who's to say you wouldn't be happy as an astronaut or a stockbroker? Maybe your life will be complete with a position as a restaurant owner. Who knows, you may become a PA or a nurse or something. Sure, it's great to have distinct goals. But let yourself have time to make them!

3. Don't follow a set course to the letter. Again, I planned to major in linguistics when I entered university. On my brother's advice, I took other classes - Japanese, anthropology, computer science, creative writing. I'm now currently working towards a double major in Japanese and Anthropology. Take classes in things you wouldn't have considered otherwise. Take psychology or horticulture. Maybe gender studies. Learn a language or take a class in political science. It might end up the best thing you ever did.

4. Take advantage of opportunities. Go wild. I never would've thought to be a doctor until I had to wait a year to give blood, and if I couldn't give blood, I figured I might as well give time. My volunteer experience with the Red Cross opened the door to health care for me, and subsequent exposure to the field is what made me decide to go into medicine. I also accepted an offer to study abroad (best experience of my life) and have attended conferences all around. Accepting invitations and taking advantage of opportunities presented to you will change your life, whether in small (using your own thermos instead of disposable cups at cafes) or big (pursuing a career you never even imagined) ways.

I hope this advice helps you! And like I said: every high schooler I come across gets some variation of this lecture. 😉

Where were you when I needed you? I had to learn all of these the hard way.

 

[ElegantWeapon]

and, if you go to SLU, make sure you hit up Pappy's Smokehouse for BBQ and make your way over to Fro Yo on the Loop for dessert