My plan has always been doctor...now I'm not so sure...?

Question

So, I'm a high school senior and it's crunch time now with all the college major decisions. I've always wanted to be a doctor...speacialist actually (anesthesiologist) However, I never really had an A in CHemistry and although, I'm ok at science...Science isn't my passion...I do want to be an anesthesiologist though. I also hear only 10% of premed students make it into Med School anyway which tends to discourage me. I'm not so excited with the idea of having to choose a different major ,but I guess I might have to think about that. Any advice.

Answer 1

Most colleges do not require you to declare a major until your junior year, so it's not as much of a crunch as you might think.

Take a variety of courses in your freshman year, and see what catches your interest. As long as you take the requisite science courses, your option to go to medical school is still there. Your major in college is immaterial.

You will need to get good grades, though. Almost all A's. The occasional B won't kill your med school chances, but a B average will. You'll be competing against a lot of straight A types.

As for choosing a medical specialty, that's a decision that you shouldn't even think about until you are in your medical school clinical rotations (3rd and 4th year).

Good luck to you in whatever you choose!

Answer 2

I guess my question would be why an anesthesiologist? I mean most of us decide on a specialty after having gone through med school and given that you're still in high school i wonder if there is some influence from your family or television. Medicine is extremely tough and definitely nowhere close to being as glamorous and exciting as TV would have you believe; not just med school but also residency so you need to be sure that you want to be a doctor. Your grades arent super important ;of course if you were a persistent C or D grade student you may want to re-evaluate whether you'll be able to handle the intellectual work load in med school, residency and the rest of your career.
I would suggest keep your major open and try out different things, you never know what you may end up being passionate about, and it may just be medicine. Try doing internships in whatever field interests you because it will give you a good idea of what the lifestyle is like.
the idea of changing your life plan may be uncomfortable but its better to do it early on rather than continuing down a path you think you want to take only to regret it later.

Answer 3

My friend was in the same predicament as you except he could not choose between medicine and law. You can find a major that you could take to med school or could do something else with. Med school doesn't require a "Pre-med" major, in fact, schools would prefer you persue a major of your own interest such as Biology.

Have you taken an Anatomy and Physiology class at your school?

I would say look into the requirements for Med school (graduate school) and try and find a major that interests you. There are always options. Try visiting your doctor and talking to them about how they chose to be a doctor and what they majored in. I asked mine and it turns out he majored in Psychology and wasn't even planning on being a regular doctor. You're passions and plans will change over time but try and pick a basis for something you love to do. You can always major in something you LOVE and then take other classes that meet those Med school requirements so that you can go either way.

Hopefully that helped!

Answer 4

I have that exact same problem, I'm in first year university in the Pre-Medicine program at the moment. My aim is to anesthesiology because it seems nice and choosing what I want to do now keeps the passion up. Up here in Saskatchewan we need to take 2 years of pre-med then get our degree. Lately they have been taking the test for getting into medical school to 40% of your grade and 60% on the interview. So if you have 50% grades and you ace the interview, you still have a decent chance to get in. But still, the chance isn't that great, the rate for our school is about 1 person a year from 2 years of premed and about 30-40 people when they have their degree. I personally am aiming for a chemistry major, so even if the school doesn't accept me, I can still pursue being a Ph. d in chemistry and still end up being a doctor :). I hear that people are taking art classes and are still getting into med school, they just had to take premed first. Easiest thing to do would do premed and just pass it, then do something that interests you and boost your crappy first 2 years to at least 80%+. Also, most of the doctors I talked to majored in chem.

Good luck :3

Answer 5

A lack of passion for science, and a B in chemistry, do not bode well for you, but that may just be a matter of your teacher's not making it interesting. Likewise, the acceptance rate into medical school isn't 10%, but more like 50%, so that shouldn't completely dissuade you, either. We can't tell you what to do, obviously, but you have plenty of time to work through your decision. If there's something about which you are passionate, that can be your major in college, and you can still take the requisite science courses, keeping your options open. To plan better, you may want to spend some time on http://www.aamc.org .

Answer 6

Well you can start as a nurse or paramedic to gain a basic understanding of medicine and the science needed...then move on to a science degree then med school. Take it in steps! That is what I did I am a paramedic and I also have a degree in human science, my EMT-P training really helped me get through it. Now I am looking into becoming a Physician Assistant.

Good Luck and remember to start small and go big!

Answer 7

A major in biology is not all that different from a pre-med major. You will need some chemistry, however.

My suggestion is to try pre-med for a year or two. If you are getting good grades and your passion to be a doctor persists, stick with it. If either grades or passion declines, think about alternative career paths.

Answer 8

I am a physician and our community has programs for students such as yourself that arrange for them to come "shadow" us in the field. It is helpful for you to see first hand what we do and if the reality of the job and your vision of the job are the same. If you are considering medicine, it needs to be a Passion. The study is tough, the hours long and the rewards not what they once were. The reward needs to ultimately be the satisfaction you derive from that passion of doing something you love. Best wishes on your endeavor.