What does it take to become a hematology doctor?

Question

I'm interested in becoming a hematology doctor...I'm looking at different colleges and med-schools and I'm so confused...I don't know what to major or minor in...please help!:)

Answer 1

It's actually not that difficult once you look at the big picture.

Ok, how to become a hema doc?

First college, then med school, then a hematology residency. When does your choice about hematology kick in? Not until the end of med school when you're applying to match into a hematology residency.

So, what you major and minor in doesn't really matter at all for that.

Your goal now is to try and make it into med school. Your choice of major and minor can affect that. You don't have to do a minor. You can if you think it'll make you look more well rounded and interesting to med school admissions people. Provided you can keep up your grades.

Your primary concern is to fulfill all the med school prerequisite classes and get a high GPA in everything. Med schools don't care what major you're in as long as they see those prereq classes. People tend to do well in subjects they like. If it's a science major, great. If it's bio over chem, great. If it's art, then great. If you pick a science major in order to make it easier to get into all those science prereq classes, fine. Just pick something that you'll get a high GPA in.

Forget about trying to "prepare" for med school or hematology. At most, just take a class or two to accomplish that "goal". You have plenty of electives to do so. Doing too much with that in mind is putting the cart before the horse. Becoming a doc is a marathon. Just concentrate on hitting the next milestone. Don't worry how you're going to celebrate crossing the finish line when you're at mile one.

Answer 2

I can only advise with respect to England and the United States.
The only university where I knew medical students in England is Oxford. There all future medical students do a three-year course in Animal Physiology before commencing their medical studies. Once you get into a programme like that, you will find plenty of fellow-students and professors who can give you specific advice about the courses especially relevant to hematology.
I know more about the educational system in the United States. You first have to get a four-year college degree before you are admitted to medical school. How do you choose? One method would be to choose a university which you know has a good medical school. I can name several: Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Michigan, Minnesota. Princeton does not have a medical school, but that is no reason for you not to go there, because they will prepare you excellently for medical school. Consult the rankings in U.S. Business and World Report of American Colleges and Universities, and apply to to some of the best ones where you can gain admission. The other consideration I would bear in mind is to choose institutions which have strong science offerings, but many good colleges will have those. I am not in the sciences but I have known several hematologists. It seems to me that at the undergraduate level you need to emphasize Chemistry, central to blood chemistry, Mathematics for the advanced calculations you will need, and Biology for an understanding of how organic systems work. In addition, courses in the arts and the humanities will strengthen your application when you apply to medical schools. Majoring in Biology or Chemistry would seem to be to be logical, and minoring in the other.
I would not at this stage worry too much about the particulars of courses. Choose a good college and university, and follow the broad outlines that most pre-medical students do. Once you gain admission , you can ask for the pre-med advisory manual, and you will be assigned a pre-med adviser. There is no reason for you to be "so confused. " The path is well charted, and you can get good advice once you get to the college of your choice.

Answer 3

4 years of college with a BS in Science(Anatomy, Biology, or any physical science) and then 4 years of medical school following about 2-5 years of training for a specialty.

Answer 4

one step at the time, so you wont get too overwhelmed. for now just take up premed or bachelor of science in biology. the next step will come naturally, dont worry about it yet