<p>Hey guys, </p>
<p>I am currently in high school and my gpa is pretty low (3.5) for a future doctor. I go to a top ten high school, but I feel that I am not good enough to be a doctor. I have B's in math and science. Should I focus on a different career? I have wanted to be a doctor for years and I love Bio and Chem, I just don't fel competent. Should I stop trying to fool myself? </p>
<p>please be as honest as possible.</p>
<p>Top ten high school... in America? So like Exeter or Andover? In that case you're fine.</p>
<p>Actually bluedevilmike, its a top ten public high school. I prefer to keep it private. My counselor doesn't see how I can be a doctor. She wants me to "explore my options."</p>
<p>Well, there's nothing for it but to start taking the classes when you get to college. It's hardly a high-commitment sort of thing.</p>
<p>If you're going to a top ten public school, you're competing against your peers, so it's obviously gonna feel really difficult, stressful, and competitive. I would say: hang in there. Work as hard as you can, invest more time in your science subjects (if possible), talk to your teachers, etc. I go to an "elite" high school too; I can understand what you're going through. Try to grin and bear it... you're more than your numbers (as collegeboard.com says a lot lol). Grades can't often be clear indicators toward your future.</p>
<p>Maybe you could try talking to your teachers about your ambitions and they can make suggestions for you, or tell you how to study/prepare for their class. Good luck!</p>
<p>thanks guys. It means a lot and I am going to work hard.</p>
<p>i'm sure you'll do fine... sometimes high school isn't where certain individuals, who aspire to be something great- physicians- can thrive in... Maybe your setting might be university... and if that is so.. university is what is important... sure you might be doing a little below the "doctor" mold... but no one is perfect... physicians have more than just grades... you'd have to be a very very distinct, well-rounded (and i emphasize on this) individual to succeed in this field.. if you don't... grades wont get you as far as you please... and remember, medicine is a demanding field for both society and the individual pursuing it... when i mean its demanding for the individual i mean to say that it is going to take a lot out of you... so other character aspects like persistence, confidence etc. will play a HUGE roll in medicine...</p>
<p>As long as you're doing okay, don't worry so much about your HS performance. Your college performance is what matters.</p>
<p>I hope that one day I can finally reach my goals. Thanks for your support and encouragement. I won't loose hope. :]</p>
<p>Sign up to be an EMT this summer. The sooner you are actually "in the field" and surrounded by other medical people the sooner you will learn that work and school are very different. Learning to make quick decisions as an EMT will help your future. I know several kids in both high school and college doing this. One girl's first EMT call after completing the training was an auto accident. When they got to the accident, they could not find the driver who had been thrown from the car and was up in a tree. She learned how angry and violent a person can become when they are in shock. She did not learn how to handle this situtation in training but on the job. She wants to be a nurse. If you really are serious about becoming a doctor get in field, show your passion outside of books, and learn how many options there are in the field. DO is also an option if not MD. Good Luck! Follow you heart.</p>
<p>High school doesn't really mean anything... at all.
You shouldn't let your counselor's words stop you from pursuing your dreams. He/she is an ahole by my standard. Don't let four years of high school narrow your career path! :) Keep fighting, man!</p>
<p>I don't think you can be an EMT until you're 18.</p>
<p>Depends on the state. In mine, you can get certified at 16.</p>
<p>My mom is a doctor now (a dermatologist, actually--the most difficult specialty to get into), and she was told by every guidance counselor she asked that she couldn't do it. So she didn't try for med school her first time through college, and had to go back and start over. You should of course have multiple back-up plans, but you're way too young to be deciding whether you can do this. If you're determined, and you apply widely, and you build an interesting record of summer work and experiences, and you won't give up, I'd bet on you. Being a great doctor is very different from taking tests.</p>
<p>Goldshadow: i tried seaching for state by state requirements for EMT but could not find one. what is it in michigan?</p>
<p>According to the first page of the following form (from the Michigan Dept of Community Health), you have to be 18 in Michigan.</p>
<p>Another plan is to call a doc friend you know and see if you can "shadow" him to learn what his day is like etc. Medical school interviews will ask what you did to show your passsion. W hydo you want to be a doc? Correct answer is not prestige or money, should be about desire to help people and make a difference. Do you know the needs of the poorest commmunities in your area? Can you speak first hand about the struggles of people without insurance to get the healthcare they need? Start learning about this, research the trauma units in your area to see if you can volunteer or at least interview some residence to learn about the difficultiesd they faced, etc. Show your passion by educating yourself and it may help you narrow down a field: family practice, Ear, Nose Throat,..</p>
<p>don't worry... my dad had a 2.9 high school gpa (but a 3.9 college gpa) and he became a doctor.</p>
<p>^ exactly the same with my cousin</p>
<p>you guys are WONDERFUL! Thank you for all your kind words. I am not going to give up. :)</p>