<p>hello all
i am going to be a junior in high school this fall and am just starting to look into colleges and stuff. i really want to be a doctor when i grow up, so i'm here in the premed section of this forum.
i am almost clueless as to what i have to do in order to get there. i know that premed is just a set of courses that you take to prepare you for med school. but premed isn't a major. so i'll have to major in something else. i'm very strong in math. so could someone suggest a major that i could go into ( and hopefully isn't too far away from the medical track ) ? </p>
<p>also, any other information about what i should do during my junior year (ie college visits etc) would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>The only goal at this point is to get into a college that you really like. For now, that’s the only thing that matters. For the first two years of college, your main goal will be to take the right classes, get good grades, and spend some time volunteering in a hospital.</p>
<p>That covers the next four years, I believe.</p>
<p>If you are ranked in the top ten percent of you’re class and have at least a 1400 SAT, you may want to look into BS/MD programs (Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine programs) that can guarantee you into medical school from high school. You apply in your senior year like you do for regularly applying to colleges, and, if the school thinks you’re qualified, you’ll be eligible for an interview at a medical school. If that goes well, then you could be accepted into medical school right from the get-go. Of course, you’ll have to go through college like everyone else to get your bachelor’s degree, but you probably will graduate in two to three years instead of four, having to maintain certain GPA and standardized test scores (MCAT-Medical College Admissions Testing). </p>
<p>I’m yet to attempt in applying for these programs, but you can find so much information on these forums and by researching online. BS/MD programs are only for outstanding or the extremely diligent and self-disciplined high school student. (There are BS/DO programs, DO meaning Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, that usually set the bar lower. I’ve heard of people who don’t recommend them, however, due to the quality of the undergraduate college, but I may be wrong.) And just know that the traditional way of getting into medical school (4 years of undergraduate school+4 of med school) is the route most people take. (I think about 99% of them do.) In that case, listen to bluedevilmike and do your research. Find a decent school that will prepare you for medical school. In either circumstance, get good grades, volunteer at a hospital, and do what you love to do. I hope that I helped. Good luck with your future. :)</p>
<p>Wow, I realized. Usernames with “blue” in them rock.</p>
<p>You should go the BS/MD route only if you really, really like the undergraduate school that they’ll make you go to. Otherwise it’s too high a “cost” – giving up the college you would have really wanted.</p>
<p>thank you for your replies
the rice/baylor program looks good to me but the acceptance rate is absolutely alarming…
out of over 1,000 people who applied, only 14 got accepted.
[Rice</a> University | Prospective Students](<a href=“http://futureowls.rice.edu/futureowls/Rice_Baylor_FAQs.asp#8]Rice”>http://futureowls.rice.edu/futureowls/Rice_Baylor_FAQs.asp#8)</p>
<p>do you guys know of any other good BS/MD programs?
as of now, i do not have a college that i “really want” to go to…i’m willing to go to basically any school as long as it’s better for my future</p>
<p>and also, could anyone help me with choosing a major that is related to both math and medicine?</p>
<p>Math on its own is perfectly fine. So is biostatistics.</p>
<p>You’ll find that a school which you really enjoy will almost always be what’s best for your future anyway, even if another school is supposedly more prestigious or selective.</p>
<p>could you explain what biostatistics is in a nutshell? i have never heard of that before</p>
<p>how would you classify “enjoying” a school? i’m easily satisfied, so i think i’ll do fine at any school</p>
<p>Essentially it’s a means of quantifying how a disease works, usually throughout a population. Very useful for public health officials, e.g. epidemic tracking and such. Also helpful in clinical decision-making; when one drug is “better,” how much better? And how exactly does one measure “better” drugs?</p>
<p>Enjoying a school essentially boils down to finding an atmosphere that will help you thrive (not just be satisfied), amidst a student body that really challenges (but also supports) you.</p>