<p>Hi! This is my first time posting here although I have visited quite a lot. I am in my third semester of college and have been planning on/taking classes to major in marketing. Marketing was my passion for so long until lately when I have realized that I want to follow in much of my family's foot steps and become a doctor.</p>
<p>I am planning on going to medical school after I graduate and I have a few questions.</p>
<ol>
<li>Would being a marketing major negatively affect my chances of acceptance into med school?</li>
<li>What would I have to do in med school to become a dermatologist?</li>
<li>Am I too far deep if my current GPA is a 2.6? (I NEVER went to class my freshman year and as a result did horribly, but luckily it made me realize I need to try my best.)</li>
</ol>
<p>Also... Would anyone mind giving me a general overview of what kind of job/EC would look good for med school to be a dermatologist, and any person views of dermatology in med school?</p>
<ol>
<li>IMO, yes. Med school’s like more academic majors. But some business school majors get in somewhere. (I would think marketing might be one of the least academic business majors.) </li>
<li>Very well. Top of your class. Great board scores. Great LOR’s. </li>
<li>You are in a hole but it’s not impossible. Most couldn’t do it. Can you? Start right now (today) and continue through your senior year grades. Apply after senior year.</li>
</ol>
<p>You don’t do yourself any favors thinking about doing anything for Dermatology now. That can wait. You’ve got bigger and more immediate problems.</p>
<p>“2. What would I have to do in med school to become a dermatologist?”
-In addition to what Curm. said above, about 7 publications in derm research. So, if you are dreaming Derm. which is the most selective specialty, you better have very solid alternative. Frankly, many simply do not consider Derm. as reasonably attainable goal. I am talking about very top, straight As type of UG students. They are “dreaming” about it, but keeping other options very wide open.</p>
<p>So yall consider dermatology rather hard to get in to? I am certainly capable of doing anything my mind is set on doing, I just have to put forth the effort. I ultimately want to focus on doing freezers and fillers (any injectables) but I do not think that PAs or any other people who are qualified to do this, other than derm, make enough money. Any thoughts on this?</p>
<p>It’s one of, If not the toughest residency matches out there. As others have said its far too early to worry about it. Your number one goal for now is getting all As from here on out in every class, fulfilling Pre med course requirements, doing the necessary ECs and then killing the MCAT- without all of these your chances of even getting into med school are pretty slim. It’s not impossible but you have dug yourself into a hole and have a very steep climb to get out. Good luck !</p>
<p>Med schools aren’t really keen to accept students if their goal is to make a lot of money. If you aim towards Dermatology, you better have a good reason for that choice, rather than saying “it’s a field where you can make a lot of money”. </p>
<p>That concept is very naive, and here’s one reason why: it’s a very long time indeed before you start to see the big bucks rolling in. My guess is that you’d have to work like crazy to obtain a 4.0 in the next 4 semesters. But, does that include all the pre-med requirements?</p>
<p>I’m thinking you’d have to continue in a post-bac program to complete those requiresments AND boost your gpa. (That’s 2 UG + 2 post-bac.) Then you’d have 4 years of med school + residency + 2-4 internship. Plus ~2-3 years in a specialty. We’re talking 14 years from now. </p>
<p>And about those cut-classes you missed in your freshman year? That just doesn’t cut it now. So if you’re serious, that goal might be obtainable, but it will take a huge commitment of time, energy, focus, money, and yes, smarts. Are you ready?</p>
<p>I’d just like to reiterate the point that, should you get to the point of interviewing for med schools, you might be met with resistance if you describe your main drivers toward this career to be cosmetic procedures and money.</p>
<p>I’m not saying being motivated by the possibility of improving someone’s appearance and making a lot of money is bad. I’m just saying that med schools now tend to be looking for students who are not only the cream of the crop academically, but are also inherently good people who are dedicated to serving others through medicine. So, in addition to doing all the work to improve your academic credentials, you should definitely be exploring various sides of medicine and patient care so you can make a convincing argument about why you should be accepted!</p>
<p>" am certainly capable of doing anything my mind is set on doing, I just have to put forth the effort"
…like every single Med. Student, effort is what it takes…and effort is tremendous, not in the same range as in UG at all, could not be compared…</p>
<p>…and another consideration, there are plenty of Med. School applicants who have perfect 4.0, straight As from day #1 in UG. You will compete against these people. You need a bit more of everything else, superior EC’s, great MCAT (just like all others said). What I am trying to add here is that these Summa Cum Laude’s are NOT getting accepted to all Med. Schools that they apply, maybe 50% of them, depending on their list. Yes, they get rejected from many, pre-interview. I am not trying to scare you, but, please, keep real life picture in prospective.</p>
<p>I did not say that I want to be a derm simply for the money. I come from a very successful family therefore I refuse and have no desire to be your average RN working down the road. I want to do derm because it is the medical field that most interests me, mainly cosmetic. I decided to be a doctor because many people in my family are doctors and after dealing with my mother having cancer, along with several other family members, I know that it is right for me.</p>
<p>I have many, many ECs as it is and am working towards getting more in the medical field, as most of mine now are community service. I have extremely successful family members who graduated from the med school that I am planning to go to.</p>
<p>A few more quick questions:
What would the difference be in schooling between derm and a family doctor?
Does have family alumni boost chances of acceptance?
Any recommendations on other fields that also do injectables? (Although I am aware it will be hard to completely decide what I want to do until later on in med school)</p>
<p>Since many in your family are already doctors I would suggest they are a great resource for your specific questions.</p>
<p>Along that line of having so many in your family being doctors, the med school adcoms will take that into consideration, maybe as alumni/legacy but most definitely as “to whom much is given, much is expected.”</p>
<p>What everybody is trying to say here, that to say “I want” is not enough. Have clear plan and follow it very closely. Many who said “I want”, actually about 90% of them, did not achieve what they wanted, because they did not have clear plan and/or because they derailed following that path that requires tons of very hard work, but is achievable as many have proven. But the successful ones went well beyond their desire.
I agree having MD in a family is a plus.</p>
<p>Assuming you are fortunate enough to check all the boxes and gain med school admission, that alone is only the first, very small step, for a career in Dermatology.</p>
<p>As I previously mentioned, a residency match into Derm requires being among the very top in your Med school class, AOA recognition, a significant amount of Derm research, absolutely stellar STEP scores and LORS and a lot of luck.</p>
<p>Your goal should be getting into med school- it is foolish at this time to set your sites on the most difficult to attain specialty because you have NO idea how challenging the road ahead will be once you get into med school.</p>
<p>Your performance in Med school will be the sole determining factor in what area of medicine you end up in.</p>
<p>Legacy status may be worth a bump in med school admissions but isn’t going to mean a thing when it comes time for residency match.</p>
<p>having a physician parent employed by the medical school might be a bigger boost than being an alum.</p>
<p>I think the most important thing that you, OP, need to recognize is that odds are you won’t end up in Derm even if you do get into med school. I’m not saying you can’t end up in Derm, but if the thought of being any kind of doctor other than a dermatologist is upsetting, you need to seriously re-evaluate.</p>
markmed, I’m curious. What makes wanting to give shots so desireable? I thought one of the reasons why dermotology is so appealing is because their hours aren’t 24/7. And yes, they make good money. </p>
<p>But, how did you gravitate towards wanting to do injectibles as a reason to want to go to med school? There are many doctors (and RNs and PAs) who regularly give shots. Actually, as a diabetic, I give myself shots several times a day. Goodness, there’s the heroin addict down the street who does that, there are vets who give shots, and there are tattoo arts whose artwork involves shots and needles.</p>
<p>I want to do injections because my best friends dad is a plastic surgeon and I have always enjoyed watching him do them and the difference that they make on people. It is just really a choice based on personal experience… I would be a plastic surgeon but I do not want to work with the inside of the body as much, which is why I want to do injections, as well as things like microdermobrasion. Cosmetic dermatology has always interested me. I am very interested as to why everyone on this forum attempts to make people feel as though they should not be doctors. The point of being a doctor is to help others, not to pretend to be an elite group of socitey.</p>
<p>“i’m assuming OP is using the term “injectables” to try and make himself sound smarter while referring to things like botox.”</p>
<p>Actually if I was attempting to sound more intelligent that I actually am, I probably would have chosen a word a little less common and more specific. Unfortunately, no words to my knowledge include botulinum toxin, juvederm, restylane, perlane, belotero, radiesse, collagen, and the vast amount of other injectables that are used in the specialty that I desire. I am enamored by that fact that you took the time to google injectables, though. That is highly commendable.</p>