WHat are the requirements and classes I need to take while in highschool to become a doctor?

Question

Hi, im currently a sophmore in highschool and I need to plan my classes for next year. My current cumulative GPA is a 3.39 for the three semesters that I have completed. I have taken these classes so far- Biology Honors, World History Honors, Computer Applications, Geometry, Spanish II, Freshman Lit Honors, Intro to Business, Algebra II, English Lit Honors, AP Euro history, Chemistry honors, Spanish III honors, Marketing, and Management. Im taking all AP core classes next year except in math. One more thing...I really hate Spanish and instead of it I want to take human physiology, but someone said that decent colleges recommend 4 years of foreign language. I really need your opinion.

AP stands for Advanced Placement, its courses in which u cud get college credits while in highschool. Im planning on doing American Lit, Physics C, and US history all in AP

BTW, senior year I am taking AP Caluculus. Also im on varsity swimming and water polo and have been since frehcman year. I have a summer part-time job as well and a few clubs that i dont participate in much

Answer 1

~There is a small step between high school and med school called college. Perhaps your current focus is misdirected?

I am not overly impressed with your high school credentials through 37.5% of your secondary career, and neither will be any reputable med school admission panel. Maybe you ought to be thinking about what college you want to go to for your pre-med degree and discuss options with your guidance counsellor?

Spanish might not be a bad idea. Since med schools keep admissions low to insure a shortage of doctors, you may have to apply to med schools in Mexico, especially when you consider that all the other applicants will have grades as good (and more likely better) than your current A -, but again, your college transcript and MCAT are going to mean a whole lot more when the time comes that your question (and concern) is actually meaningful.

Answer 2

Try taking Latin. You'll use it a lot in med school.
As for Spanish, if you already got through Spanish 3 you should have no problemo at all in college. I doubt the language requirement is more than 2 years even with a premed degree. I minored in Spanish and only had to take Spanish 1 through 3.

As for classes, if you are allowed, try taking some advanced courses at a college (if possible organic chemistry, or an anatomy course), or at the very least a community college. Sometimes you can even apply them towards your HS graduation requirements.

Also, try talking to admissions counselors at schools you are interested in applying to. They are a big help (more than most HS 'guidance' counselors).

You might also want to volunteer at a local hospital, it'll look good on your application, as well as giving you some idea of what being a doctor is like. Good luck, I HATED school! An undergrad degree was more than enough for me.

Answer 3

well you to prove to college and med schools that you want to be a doctor. What you have is good but not as impressive to be accepted to a good school. I'll tell you, I am a senior currently and by the end of my senior year I would have taken 11 AP exams(AP French Language 4, AP Spanish Language 3, AP English 2, AP French Lit 1, AP US History 3, AP World History 3, AP Biology 5, AP Chemistry 2007, AP Calculus 2007, AP Spanish Lit 2007, AP Physics B & C 2007). Besides that I am fluent in French and Spanish. I took German 7-8 my junoir year getting 2 B'S. I have been in advanced jazz band for 4 years. I join tennis team for 4 years. I have been president of French club for 2 years. I have worked at a restaurant for 1 year with my parents as bus boy and pantry chef. I have performed 50 hours of community service and 130 hours of volunnteering as teachers' aide, hospital and other. I also went to city college over the summer taking Spanish 3, and intermediate algebra. Im the first student in the family to go to college and have high school diploma. my cummulative weighted GPA is 4.5 unweighted 3.9 GPA. SAT 1850/2400 ACT 30.

So I mean I want to be a doctor and I am plannign on majoring in biochemistry in college to help prepare me for college. So i suggest you get your **** together, and start working hard don't regret.

Answer 4

Just keep on track , raise your GPA .21-.31 points and get involved with something that shows you can lead or can work with a group well. Most of all, check with med schools you might be interested in and see what they want from colleges and what colleges produce more med students. Then check with those lower universities that you would be interested in attending and see what thier standards and requirements are from HS graduates. You can easily achieve a score high enough to get into med school with a proper attitude towards study and success. Worry more about where you want to go to college at for now and work towards that. You can achieve college credits the way you are going, but with your GPA you won't reach validictorian but can stay in top 10% of class easily enough. Without rich parents or awesome scholarships, reaching top tier universities can be very hard. Good luck to you, and don't give up on what you set your mind to; the road you are choosing is a long one and at times stressful.

Answer 5

I'm a senior now and in my college hunt most colleges recommended just 3 years of foreign language. Taking the all AP classes will definately help. Make sure you do well on the exam, not just the class. I know you said "except in math" but math and science is what would be most important for your field of study so I'd recommend trying to take an AP Math.

Answer 6

I think you can raise your GPA a bit, even though what you have now is really good. I am currently fulfilling pre-med requirements in my first year in college and i can tell you that its very competitive. Tons of people have 3.9 GPA and up. Take AP sciences like biology, chemistry and physics as well as calculus BC or even AB. depending on the college the school might grant you credit or not. But in any case, you will gain more knowledge and be ahead, getting better grades in college since you are familiar with the material, earning a better GPA. Also make sure you are involved in extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and such. Good luck.

Answer 7

Your high school performance doesn't matter much except in relation to getting into an acceptable college. Any state college will do. While there, you need a high GPA, the pre-med core of classes (major is largely irrelevant) and very high MCAT scores. Your first year of college is when you should start taking the classes designed to get you a high score on the MCAT (you should know what score you are going to get BEFORE taking this test, from all the practice tests you've taken). No decent college give a flying crap about foreign language study or other liberal nonsense courses. They want to know you've taken your schools higher level classes in chemistry, biology, english and perhaps math. But, truthfully, this doesn't matter much except to establish you are college prep.

Answer 8

Honestly, the classes you take in High School will have very little effect on a degree in Medicine. Just so long as you get into a university and major in Pre-Med.

Of course you can make things in college easier by taking lots of Latin, Biology, and Chemistry....but they are most certainly not required in High School for a college major in Pre-Med.

Answer 9

It looks like you have a pretty well-rounded mix of classes right now. I would continue to take the Spanish classes, especially with the growth of the Hispanic population in this country. It's a skill that will definitely come in handy, especially if you end up in Florida, California, or Texas.

Instead of focusing on classes for college, make sure you are focused on your upcoming college placement tests. A good score will certainly go a long way toward getting you into a top school.

Answer 10

hey...
im a sophmore too...
youre doing great right now, but your kinda low in math. math is important toward being a doctor. you want to take as many as you can. ive already taken algebra 1 and 2, geometry, and pre cal. its best you do great in these classes because being a doctor is really about formulas and measurement to become successful. what im doing is the IB program. its a program known too be harder than AP program. its more work and since its so rare, colleges reconize it more. IB stands for international baccalaureate by the way. i hate spanish too. i also wish to take human phsiology when im a junior. well good luck!