<p>I'm going to be a senior in high school so I'm probably still way too young to know or not if this type of career path is right for me but I can't help it. Being a doctor (esp. pediatrician) has always been something that I really wanted to pursue. How hard is it? What can I do to explore this and see if it does interest me or not (besides volunteering and shadowing)?</p>
<p>If it is something you are passionate about and willing to work extremely hard for it may be for you. You don’t have to decide right away if you want to go to med school-- you have four years of undergrad to decide what interests you. There is absolutely no rush.</p>
<p>I echo Reeses, I think big part of college education is helping you determine what do you want to do with your life. Medical school is generally quite hard and competitive, it is totally different story how to get there versus the doctors you see in hospital/practices. </p>
<p>Since you are leaning towards medicine, then go ahead take some relevant courses and TALK TO PEOPLE! Do not need to rush on getting credits and attacking pre-med yet. I have seen many people changed their mind about what do they want to do with their life in college (and some after graduation). Please reach out and talk to the students who are in med-school, or some med school professor/academic advisors, or the real pediatrician faculty members, simply tell them your story and want to learn more about the profession, many will be very happy to help you out. Good luck!</p>