Help with Pre-med? Suggested courses if I want to be a Pediatrician?

Applying to College
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<p>I’m currently going to be a high school senior in less than a month, and I really do need help with all these college applying and such. I would prefer applying for early admissions.</p>

<p>Okay, so I plan on studying pre-medicine for my undergrad studies and I really want to be a pediatrician. </p>

<p>1) What colleges offer a variety of scholarships? Merit or financial based?</p>

<p>2) What outside scholarships, other than what colleges would offer, would I be able to apply for? (I live on U.S. territory in the Pacific)</p>

<p>3) What colleges would you recommend for me to study pre-med?</p>

<p>4) What are the (first year) classes for pre-medicine? </p>

<p>5) I know that you can major in any field and take the MCAT, but what’s a recommended major that I should take that will actually benefit me if I want to become a pediatrician? I know that pre-med isn’t a major, but just a list of required classes for medical school. </p>

<p>6) Do medical schools offer scholarships? Merit or financial based? I need as much moolah as I can get because my family isn’t wealthy.</p>

<p>I know that some students study pre-med at a community college for two years then transfer to a four-year university. On many forums that I’ve read, many people recommend to study pre-med at a university.</p>

<p>By the way, I live on U.S. territory. My school doesn't have a guidance counselor and my parents have no knowledge about the American education system, so I’m basically on my own. :(</p>

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<p>I suggest you get a book on med school admissions to understand what people do to prepare; its not just the classes you take but also recs, research experience, exposure to a medical setting, etc. There are also many online resources; a good place to start is <a href=“Amherst College Guide for Premedical Students”>https://www3.amherst.edu/~sageorge/guide1.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>There is a financial aid forum here; for money questions you ought to ask to see what people there know.</p>

<p>I also always ask kids that say they want to be doctors, why an M.D? Not that I know it is wrong for you, it may be the right fit, but have you actually looked into the medical field and considered the alternatives? From the day you start college it will be 11-15 years before you are a practicing doctor, depending on what field you go into. You probably aren’t even 18 now, and you’re talking about not being done with training until you are about 30! Doctors are not the only ones in the health field that help people. Physical therapists, radiology techs, nurses, speech pathologists, to name but just a few. Before you go heavily into debt and commit so many years I suggest you explore the alternatives.</p>