what to do in high school?

[thebadguy1999]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

what can i do in high school to have a somewhat significant impact on when i apply to med-school?

for example: will volunteer work now have an impact later on?

what else can i do?

 

[NonTradMed]

The only thing you can do in high school which will affect your chances of med school is to do well in your classes and take as many science classes as you can to give you a solid foundation for college. High school is too young to think about your med school application. Med schools look at your college application almost exclusively. They dont' care as much about what you did in high school. However, colleges will care about what you did in high school, and how well you did in high school, and the study habits you pick up in high school, can affect your grades in college, which in turn affects your chances of getting into med school.

 

[akademiks1989]

You can always start volunteering, start finding organizations which you can start having long commitments in (red cross, homeless shelter, rec&ed sports), get involved in church, shadow, and everything else that is unrelated to college premed societies and stuff...many of my friends snagged some research time already, so they are ahead of the game. If you really want to get ahead, go to a community college (find out before senior year is over since these classes fill up quickly), and enroll in an EMT or MA class (community college in my area offers this to be completed in three weeks...FOR A CERTIFICATE...this is someone's career, so take advantage of easy opportunities), so you won't have to take it during the summer during college....be ahead of the game, and you will get into medical school.

If this is your passion, it is a good thing to be thinking about it now so you will be prepared to fulfill while nurturing your passion. Just remember to have fun in college but don't have "I'm in the ER getting my stomach pumped" type of fun...lol

hope that helps.

BTW, I am 17, and I going to college in a few weeks! wish me luck!

 

[kypdurron5]

what can i do in high school to have a somewhat significant impact on when i apply to med-school?

for example: will volunteer work now have an impact later on?

what else can i do?

There are many of these threads, so do a little searching. Still, I've never replied to one, so here's my two cents. I’ve been a straight A student from High School all the way through college graduation (this coming weekend) with very few exceptions. I've worked 20 hours a week since high school, and never took fewer than 17 credit hours. What I've done very little of, however, is volunteering. The first time I took the MCAT I only got a 27, but that still should have been good enough for some of the schools I applied to. Thus, the primary reason I wasn't accepted was my lack of clinical experience (which I was actually told by rejecting schools). Doing any kind of volunteer work from high school on would be great, including things like habitat for humanity, big brothers/big sisters, etc. Still, if you want to start on the "real" stuff schools look for, you might want to start doing hospital volunteer work now. When you start volunteering though, you should make it clear that you want to be a doctor one day and you're looking to be exposed to medicine. That way you'll hopefully have nurses that are more interested in showing you things and introducing you to doctors. Another thing you might consider is becoming a certified nurse assistant. This you can do by putting in a few credit hours at the local community college. That way you can accomplish two things in one shot; 1) making money! and 2) getting patient care/hospital exposure experience. If I could do one thing differently, it would be that. I would have either done CNA early on, or else done EMT. Both certifications will give you patient contact, and both require similar amounts of training. Basically, take EVERY opportunity you can get to see things, shadow doctors, and be exposed to patients and medicine. Equally important is to keep a running “journal” of your experiences, so that you don’t forget important things you’ve seen and done for when it comes time to apply to medical school, write essays, and prove yourself during interviews.

 

[thebadguy1999]

There are many of these threads, so do a little searching. .

from high school students?

 

[kypdurron5]

from high school students?

Yes! Start your searching with the words "high school student" and see what you get. I subscribe to the RSS feed, so I read every single topic title that comes through the allo forum.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

what can i do in high school to have a somewhat significant impact on when i apply to med-school?

for example: will volunteer work now have an impact later on?

what else can i do?

I wouldn't do anything special except for A) getting into a college with a decent science department and preferably a med school, and B) Taking as many sciences as you can...bio, chem, and physics. Having exposure to these topics will help your transition to college and could possibly give you a slight edge over others.

Remember, if you take any classes at a college level your grades will permanently count toward your pre-med gpa...forever! (this does not count APs, just classes taken at an actual college) So, if you're thinking of taking Spanish or cooking or something over at the local community college, make sure not to fail it.

 

[Law2Doc]

what can i do in high school to have a somewhat significant impact on when i apply to med-school?

for example: will volunteer work now have an impact later on?

what else can i do?

Just learn to socialize -- being able to talk to people (all kinds, young and old) is a skill too many applicants lack, and it comes across in interviews. If you have any interesting hobbies, pursue them. Foreign language skills are always useful and can be started at that age. And try to make it to college without a criminal record. Other than that, I would suggest you just focus on and do well in high school and try to get into the best college you can.

 

[chewsnuffles]

I made a top 10 list:

10) Enjoy high school. Or not. Most people agree college is better...
9) Don't cheat.
8) Anything where you get to talk to people. This includes friday night keggers. Make yourself known... (also see #1)
7) If you're really inclined to - start some kind of research volonteer stuff and learn the lab procedures/how to read scientific literature. Then in college you can get in on a big project alot easier instead of washing dishes.
6) Language - can someone tell me any language useful for a practicing physician in the US besides spanish? I'm waiting for someone to say French, but I don't think its going to happen...
5) AP Classes, then re-take the AP classes in college i.e. Chem I, Cell bio, Calc I, II. WHY? Because its an easy A so you can take some 200/300 level stuff your freshman year as well, and if you skip them (as I did), sometimes you get in over your head in the next level of classes. Doing well early in the pre-med req's also makes for some good LOR's.
4) Sports - if it interests you, opens up coaching/leadership/all kinds of stuff
If you arn't co-ordinated, do cross country (often times if you look, the cross country team has some of the smartest kids on it too... I think it comes from the sobriety that many coaches impose... but enough on that)
3) EMT - might as well get certified early and have less to do in college
2) Don't get burned out in HS, no matter what, it's not worth going crazy over
1) Don't get arrested

 

[dopaminesurge]

If you plan to attend college around your hometown, then you definitely have the option for long term continuous volunteer work. It would sound great for you to say you've volunteered in this particular ER for 6 year, or in a homeless clinic, etc. If not, don't stress too much. I've never seen an app with space to specifically discuss what you did before college. And consider that there are APs that you'll have to repeat (bio, chem, calc BC) because too many med schools don't accept AP credit, so make your course choices with that knowledge in mind.

 

[Robizzle]

I made a top 10 list:

10) Enjoy high school. Or not. Most people agree college is better...
9) Don't cheat.
8) Anything where you get to talk to people. This includes friday night keggers. Make yourself known... (also see #1)
7) If you're really inclined to - start some kind of research volonteer stuff and learn the lab procedures/how to read scientific literature. Then in college you can get in on a big project alot easier instead of washing dishes.
6) Language - can someone tell me any language useful for a practicing physician in the US besides spanish? I'm waiting for someone to say French, but I don't think its going to happen...
5) AP Classes, then re-take the AP classes in college i.e. Chem I, Cell bio, Calc I, II. WHY? Because its an easy A so you can take some 200/300 level stuff your freshman year as well, and if you skip them (as I did), sometimes you get in over your head in the next level of classes. Doing well early in the pre-med req's also makes for some good LOR's.
4) Sports - if it interests you, opens up coaching/leadership/all kinds of stuff
If you arn't co-ordinated, do cross country (often times if you look, the cross country team has some of the smartest kids on it too... I think it comes from the sobriety that many coaches impose... but enough on that)
3) EMT - might as well get certified early and have less to do in college
2) Don't get burned out in HS, no matter what, it's not worth going crazy over
1) Don't get arrested

haha this is a great list. can u really get EMT certified in HS???

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

what can i do in high school to have a somewhat significant impact on when i apply to med-school?

for example: will volunteer work now have an impact later on?

what else can i do?

Get into a good college.... that's it.

Also learn how to drink in preparation for college.

 

[stoic]

graduate and go to college.

that's it. really.

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

I recommend this to start

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

ALSO... you're not allowed to talk about high school on AMCAS (the med school application service) the specifically ask from undergrad years.

 

[geno2568]

whiskey?
nah, man
vodka only.
just gimme a bottle of 'goose

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

whiskey?
nah, man
vodka only.
just gimme a bottle of 'goose

that's scotch 🙂

 

[HMSNeuro]

that's scotch 🙂

he's actually technically correct. the full name is "Scotch Whiskey."

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

he's actually technically correct. the full name is "Scotch Whiskey."

I'm aware... i only drink scotch though

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

I'm aware... i only drink scotch though

except for my occasional Jack and Diet Coke of course

 

[tenaciousmd]

Is this guy actually referring to highschool? There is a forum for this sort of thing and its called " What is a gunner?"

 

[CTtarheel]

Not much you can do for med school until you get to college, and you don't even really need to do much until after your freshman year. Repeating what everyone else said, GRADUATE, GO TO COLLEGE, and DON'T GET ARRESTED. Live it up for the next couple years, it will be time to buckle down before you know it . . .

 

[jocg27]

When you start volunteering though, you should make it clear that you want to be a doctor one day and you're looking to be exposed to medicine. That way you'll hopefully have nurses that are more interested in showing you things and introducing you to doctors. .

This might seem obvious, but its actually pretty important...especially if you're from an area where high schools have implemented any form of service requirement for all students to graduate.

Hospitals and any other agencies where a student might volunteer get pretty used to having kids come through and, worst case scenario, actually get pretty frustrated by having kids who clearly don't care, aren't interested, and don't try, come through for one week or two at a time to do their service requirements. It takes 3 or 4 days to teach them what they're supposed to do, then they sort of half do it for a day, because, you know, they're on summer break and don't want to be there anyway, then the week's over and they pretty much take the last day off because, you know, it's the last day. Trust me, we were all in high school once too.

If you really care and are really interested, you can get a lot out of volunteering. Most people who work there are more than happy to teach and guide...But the necessary first step is that they know you're interested. Otherwise, it's really easy to end up just doing odd jobs the whole time and never really seeing anything worthwhile.

 

[ADeadLois]

My pieces of advice for high school:

1.) Get some sort of hospital exposure. Normally you can't put this on your application, but it doesn't hurt to get your foot in the door for a good shadowing/research gig.

2.) I've said it once, I'll say it again: break up with any significant others before you start college.

 

[Haemulon]

I recommend this to start

I see you have very refined taste Tobias. I am going to get some Blue to celebrate med school acceptance. 👍

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

I see you have very refined taste Tobias. I am going to get some Blue to celebrate med school acceptance. 👍

Thats what I did... I had a few drinks with the dad this summer but i am saving it for after exam blocks in school.

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

If you really drink scotch... it is SOOOOOOOO good.

 

[Haemulon]

For Highschool, your goal is to have fun and make sure that you can get into college. That is all.

Oh and Tobias, how about single malt scotch? Or refined bourbons like Baker's or Knob Creek. Or a smooth sweetness of rum like Captain Morgan's Special Reserve?

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

This is for when I graduate medical school

 

[Haemulon]

If you really drink scotch... it is SOOOOOOOO good.

I love the Black label, but cant justify the almost $250.00 for the Blue yet.

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

For Highschool, your goal is to have fun and make sure that you can get into college. That is all.

Oh and Tobias, how about single malt scotch? Or refined bourbons like Baker's or Knob Creek. Or a smooth sweetness of rum like Captain Morgan's Special Reserve?

i had a bad experience with rum once... never again.

I like burbons in mixed drinks... a little too rough straight up for me

 

[jocg27]

I don't know...you're kind of getting ripped for trying to get started to early, and all you need to do now is get into college, and this stuff doesn't matter for the amcas application to med school anyway...

Volunteering is always worthwhile. Most definitely, all you need to do right now is get into a quality college. But this kind of stuff will help immensely with that. And it is a good way to get ahead...Theres nothing all that impressive about volunteering in college - literally everyone in a first year med school class has. People are deciding on med school, there are more chances, all that kind of thing...Not nearly as many high school kids do. So if you find something you love and are doing it before you actually have to, it shows that you really do like it and your heart's in the right place. (This is assuming that you really do like it and your hearts in the right place...if you're volunteering now for the sole purpose of getting into med school in SIX years, then yeah, thats kind of being a gunner.)

As for you not being able to record it on amcas, that's fine and true if you stop in high school...But if you find something you really do enjoy doing, there's not much more impressive than saying you've been involved with something 5 or 6 years, and have actually reached the point you've been able to advance and create or organize or direct something, as a volunteer.

There's nothing wrong with being involved early...it doesn't make you a gunner. A lot of these are full time premed/med students jaded by the whole thing, and have started to see volunteering as just paying your dues, something you've gotta do to get into school...There are still some people who think it's worthwhile just for the sake of doing it.

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

I love the Black label, but cant justify the almost $250.00 for the Blue yet.

oh black is the standard... i drink it all the time. its fantasitc. Blue is for very special occasions. BTW... if you know someone at a liquor store you can get t for $150 (supplier cost)

 

[geno2568]

for when I graduate

cuz it aint a prize if its easy to get

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

for when I graduate

cuz it aint a prize if its easy to get

haha... ya ive never tired it. it is on the list though.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Damn! Blue Label and Grey Goose..........I'm used to drinking Vlad and Bankers Club

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

Sorry to hijack your thread OP

 

[Haemulon]

oh black is the standard... i drink it all the time. its fantasitc. Blue is for very special occasions. BTW... if you know someone at a liquor store you can get t for $150 (supplier cost)

Very cool. Scotch is definitely an acquired taste, but I have really grown to love it. I used to play games with my wife where she would pour me one of maybe four different kinds and I would identify the type. Single versus blanded, lower end red lable versus standard black, stuff like that. I think they evenb have a gold now but I havn't tried it. Aged 15 years maybe?

Whooops. Looks like we totally hijacked this thread.

 

[geno2568]

Damn! Blue Label and Grey Goose..........I'm used to drinking Vlad and Bankers Club

Goose isnt really that expensive.

You can get a bottle for under 40.

 

[Haemulon]

for when I graduate

cuz it aint a prize if its easy to get

I have tried 2 different kinds of Absinthe. The trick is getting the whole ritual down, setting the sugar on fire to caramelize. Dripping water off spoon slow enough to watch it get just the right amount cloudy. And if its not done right, tasts like A$$. Then again, not the best tasting stuff even when it is done right. And getting a good bottle with good thujone concentration is tricky too.

 

[geno2568]

take a shot, straight, with no chasers

thats what seperates the men from the boys
(or, in sdn's case, the accepted from the rejected)

 

[Haemulon]

take a shot, straight, with no chasers

thats what seperates the men from the boys
(or, in sdn's case, the accepted from the rejected)

Thats cruelty to absinthe. Have you no culture? 😱 Pound cheap tequila, take your time to appreciate a good 140 proof absinthe.

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

I have tried 2 different kinds of Absinthe. The trick is getting the whole ritual down, setting the sugar on fire to caramelize. Dripping water off spoon slow enough to watch it get just the right amount cloudy. And if its not done right, tasts like A$$. Then again, not the best tasting stuff even when it is done right. And getting a good bottle with good thujone concentration is tricky too.

People don't do it for the taste

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thujone

 

[Haemulon]

People don't do it for the taste

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thujone

Oh I know full well why. But thats also why the ritual was evolved to enhance the experience. Its also how you can tell good absinthe from bad/cheap. At a certain concentration of added water the thujone begins losing solubility and begins to cloud the drink. The absence of that clouding means a cheap drink. And no effects.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

take a shot, straight, with no chasers

thats what seperates the men from the boys
(or, in sdn's case, the accepted from the rejected)

This is the only shot I know how to take 😀

 

[Haemulon]

This is the only shot I know how to take 😀

Thats how you would drink Johnny Blue too? Now if we're talking Jager or Pepe Lopez, i'm totally on board with you.

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

Oh I know full well why. But thats also why the ritual was evolved to enhance the experience. Its also how you can tell good absinthe from bad/cheap. At a certain concentration of added water the thujone begins losing solubility and begins to cloud the drink. The absence of that clouding means a cheap drink. And no effects.

interesting 🙂

 

[geno2568]

This is the only shot I know how to take 😀

That's not a shot, its a bomb.
And there should be Jameson's in that shotglass (along with the Bailey's).

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

That's not a shot, its a bomb.
And there should be Jameson's in that shotglass (along with the Bailey's).

My favorite bomb is the College Car bomb... busch light and grain alcohol

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Thats how you would drink Johnny Blue too?

most likely or at least chase it with some guinness 😀

My shot taking days ended freshman year because thats ALL we ever did - complete burnout. I like an occasional tequila shot every once in a while but I can't really do shots anymore