what is the right career for me?

[cls0472]

hello,
I am a 11th grader in highschool in ohio. I am trying to plan for college and what i want to be when i grow up. I am thinking about being with kids, like a neonatologist or a pediatriction. and i am just wondering how long college will be and med school! And i am wanting to know if i am in the right classes, my grade point average is a 3.02 and i am taking chemistry in the community, regular math, history ap, regular english and yearbook! any other classes i should take?i have been involved in a lot of volunteering clubs were i helped children! if you know of any good colleges and med schools in the ohio area that would be good! what is a day's work in those type of doctor's lives, the salary, the male practice, and any other good info?Also i do alot of work with speacial edcuation kids and was wondering if there is a doctor that specializes in hadicapped kids,Thanks! Please help lead me in the right direction, what is a good job for me?

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[adeline]

1. finish HS.
2. get into college. State school is fine. But if there is somewhere that has a program you really love, apply there.
3. once you're there, pick a major you love. then fill in the necessary prerequisites.
4. get some clinical and volunteering experience.

Go to aamc.org and look at their info for people who are thinking about medicine, too.

 

[Terpskins99]

hello,
I am a 11th grader in highschool in ohio. I am trying to plan for college and what i want to be when i grow up. I am thinking about being with kids, like a neonatologist or a pediatriction. and i am just wondering how long college will be and med school! And i am wanting to know if i am in the right classes, my grade point average is a 3.02 and i am taking chemistry in the community, regular math, history ap, regular english and yearbook! any other classes i should take?i have been involved in a lot of volunteering clubs were i helped children! if you know of any good colleges and med schools in the ohio area that would be good! what is a day's work in those type of doctor's lives, the salary, the male practice, and any other good info?Also i do alot of work with speacial edcuation kids and was wondering if there is a doctor that specializes in hadicapped kids,Thanks! Please help lead me in the right direction, what is a good job for me?

My father is a neonatologist.

After college, 4 years medical school, 3 years general pediatrics residency, 3 years neonatology fellowship. To be a general pediatrician, it is everything minus the neonatology fellowship.

In high school, it doesn't really matter what classes you take. To prepare for college (pre-med)/medical school I recommend taking as many science courses as possible. Especially those relating to biology.

There are several types of physicians that work with special ed children. Mostly psychiatrists and neurologists. Physical medicine and rehab doctors (physiatrists) may also have an opportunity to work with similarly handicapped children.

There isn't a typical life for every physician, since different specialties will cover a wide range of responsibilities and duties. But in general, most physicians work very long hours compared with the general population and are often required to come into the hospital late at night for emergencies.

As a resident (training physician) covering the intensive care unit, I arrive at the hospital by 6:15 am and leave anywhere from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Every 4 days, I have to stay overnight until the following morning. This is a pretty typical schedule for a resident physician.

 

[BigRedBeta]

It's great that you enjoy working with children. While it seems intuitive, it's sometimes surprising how medical students miss that point when being exposed to pediatrics. The harder part is enjoying the interaction with kids who are sick. If you're genuinely interested in helping handicapped kids, then you've crossed an even bigger hurdle, as there are many pediatricians who still struggle with having to care for kids who have a lot wrong with them.

Certainly child neurologists have to deal a lot of handicapped patients, but nearly every pediatric subspecialty (including the pediatric surgical subspecialties like peds ortho and peds ENT) will see their share of kids who have problems like cerebral palsy and other chronic diseases. As a generalist pediatrician you can limit your exposure to these types of patient problems if you like, but as a specialist, the services and skills you have are often in need. Certainly neonatology has a different vantage point when it comes to these kids. Some of those with handicaps have them at birth, but at a certain point, these kids will graduate the NICU and move on to other doctors.

The lives of neonatologists are highly variable. Unlike most other pediatric specialties, there's enough patient volume, even in medium sized cities to support NICU's at community hospitals. Most other pediatric subspecialties are limited to major metropolitan areas, and in some cases only to large children's hospitals. Because neonatologists have viable private practice options almost anywhere in the country, you'll find neos with every type of lifestyle imaginable, whereas the lives of pediatric rheumatologists might be a little bit more similar since the overwhelming majority of them would be in similar situations with jobs at a tertiary children's hospital with residents to teach and so on.

For now, focus on your current school work, and doing the best that you can. Continue to research what it takes and try to find experiences that give you more exposure to medicine, so you can make sure it's the right decision for you.

 

[Annette]

Check with your guidance counselor. He/she should have a number of general interest tests. While it is good to be thinking now about becoming a physician, don't forget there is a whole world out there that you have no clue about! You might find that you love art conservation, material science, or any number of other things.

hello,
I am a 11th grader in highschool in ohio. I am trying to plan for college and what i want to be when i grow up. I am thinking about being with kids, like a neonatologist or a pediatriction. and i am just wondering how long college will be and med school! And i am wanting to know if i am in the right classes, my grade point average is a 3.02 and i am taking chemistry in the community, regular math, history ap, regular english and yearbook! any other classes i should take?i have been involved in a lot of volunteering clubs were i helped children! if you know of any good colleges and med schools in the ohio area that would be good! what is a day's work in those type of doctor's lives, the salary, the male practice, and any other good info?Also i do alot of work with speacial edcuation kids and was wondering if there is a doctor that specializes in hadicapped kids,Thanks! Please help lead me in the right direction, what is a good job for me?

 

[forreal1]

If you really want to know the real life behind this job, you should probably try and shadow some doctors, it can help. You can get real number for the salary and stuff from them too.