I just came to terms with what I would like to do with my life. I want to be a dermatologist. I graduated from high school and did 1 year of junior college. I live in chicago, il. Where do I go, who do I talk to, is it too late?
2007-02-06 08:54:13 · 5 answers · asked by missnikki630 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
Dermatology is a medical specialty, so you will need to be a physician with an M.D. degree.
It is tough getting into Med School -- only about half the applicants are accepted, and in general you won't get the endorsement of your undergraduate college to apply for med school unless you have quite a high average in your undergraduate courses, especially the science courses..
You haven't had any science courses in a few years, I assume. So, you need to review chemistry and mathematics very seriously. Then you will have to get a Bachelor's degree from a good university, probably majoring in science. Most med school applicants are biology or chemistry majors. You will have to take some of the toughest college courses - chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, calculus... and you need to have A or at the least B+ in every one of thse.
OK< then you take the MCATs, which are like SATs, only harder. If you score well, then you can apply to Med School. THere are very few scholarships for med school, so you will have to borrow the money -- when you get out, you will owe $150,000 - $200,000 dollars in student loans. You can get around this by entering the military. They will pay your school expenses if you agree to spend several years in the miliatry after graduation.
After you finish med school you will have to do at least 3 years in post-graduate training before you can work on your own.
If this sounds tough, it is. Only the best student and most dedicated students can be trusted with human lives.... If you have what it takes, then go for it!
2007-02-06 09:27:03 · answer #1 · answered by matt 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
-- Biology* as required of science majors - 4 semesters
-- Chemistry* including one year of general and one year of organic as required of science majors- 4 semesters
-- English and/or humanities - 4 semesters
-- Mathematics including calculus - 1 semester
-- Physics* as required of science majors - 2 semesters
*Includes required formal laboratory work.
Some of these courses you might have already taken at your JC. Dermatology is a medical profession and you must be admitted to medical school (by taking the classes above and scoring well on the MCAT). Dermatology then becomes a very competitive RESIDENCY program to be admitted to even after beginning medical school.
Hope this helps.
2007-02-06 17:16:04 · answer #2 · answered by cdmarshbu 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ok, so you've done some junior college. I would go ahead and talk to your high school, get a transcript from there and from the junior college, retake the SAT/ACT and apply to a state university. You can often get special scholarships for returning to reach a higher education. From there, keep up the grades, and try to get into a graduate degree program. GOOD LUCK!!
2007-02-06 16:58:45 · answer #3 · answered by C S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you must get a BS degree in some biological science with very good grades...typically > 3.6 of a possible 4.0. you must take all the prerequisites for geting into medical school, too. then get accepted into a 4 year medical school and after that, specialize in dermatology
2007-02-06 17:21:30 · answer #4 · answered by coquinegra 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Go to StudentDoctor.net
You will find a bunch of answers to your questions and some you haven't thought of yet.
Warning it is mostly the opinions of pre-meds which can be good or bad.
Good Luck!
2007-02-06 17:29:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋