<p>I've been interested in becoming a doctor for many years now. I'm a junior in high school, and I get basically average grades (I have about a 3.3 GPA) so I'm not overly smart. I really like sports and I do a lot of extra stuff for school. I really like helping people and try to do that as much as i can. I also am outgoing and i really like talking and getting to know new people. So.. do you guys think I'm right for Med School, or should I consider other career possibilities?</p>
<p>Lots of people have jobs that involve helping people and chatting them up. Why did you pick "physician" as the job you'd like?</p>
<p>The answer to my question will be telling, I think.</p>
<p>Right now, your goal is to get into a good college that you like and do well there. Don't worry about med school yet, but make sure you explore not only medicine, but other career options as well; simply because you can't possibly know that you want to be a doctor when you're in high school. Exploring everything will help you decide on what you really want.</p>
<p>To answer your question, I've always been interested in science, specifically Biology, and I think that being a doctor is the job that involves Biology that I would most like to do with my life. Also, I love working with kids, so both science and working kids would be great, that's why I (if I continue on the med schol) I will most likely choose Pedatrics as my study. I know what you were thinking I was going to say was because of the money, and of course thats a definite plus, but that is NOT the reason I came to think that I really want to be a doctor.</p>
<p>The want part is easy.. it's the do part that's hard..</p>
<p>Realize you are in competition with alot of people for very few seats at the table. It is not enough to want it, you have to do the work necessary to even get close to the opportunity for someone to even say yes or no to you. </p>
<p>What can you do to improve your current grades? Can you bring them up in HS? Are you willing to put that kind of work in? In college, it amps up some more. It's not impossible, but moving from the want to, to the actual probability of getting into med school requires alot of work..</p>
<p>your interest based on blending science and a social career is good (that's one of the things I love most about medicine). You just need to make sure that other things about medicine interest you - do you like problem solving, can you handle uncertainty (very few things present the way the textbook says they will), are you someone who likes being counted on to do the right things?</p>
<p>I'm not worried so much about your grades - it's difficult to say how you'll respond to college courseloads and how difficult your HS experience has been so far.</p>
<p>HS's vary a great deal and colleges vary a great deal, although of course there will probably be some correlation. Board scores will probably demonstrate a much stronger correlation.</p>
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I know what you were thinking I was going to say was because of the money, and of course thats a definite plus, but that is NOT the reason I came to think that I really want to be a doctor.
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<p>First lesson: never assume. I wasn't thinking of money at all - I guess it shows where your mind really is! :P</p>
<p>Joking aside, the reason I asked is because some people I knew in college hadn't really thought through their reasons for being a doctor. They never really thought about how they'd deal with 7+ more years of training, the debt, the lifestyle, etc. All they want to do was "help people," and there are a lot of easier ways to do that.</p>
<p>So far, you seem okay, but time will tell. Bigredmed's advice is good, here.</p>