I've been having a mid-life crisis [lmfao mid-life i'm 17] and I'm not 100% sure what I want to do with my life. For years and years I was SURE I was going to be an actress, but now I think I might want to be a doctor. I'm looking into some schools, but I'm not sure about all the details. Do you have to do pre-med in college before you can go to med school? That's my main question, but anything y'all can tell me on the topic would be AWESOME. Thanks! :D

8 VIEWS AND NO REPLIES IM ASHAMED IN ALL OF YOUS.

What the HELL - I typed out this big long monolithic thing encouraging you, and telling you what I know - and it never POSTED?! And now I'm in a new browser window.

Just flipping perfect.

Long story short: You can find all kinds of information using Google. Use it. You need a year of bio, 1 year of inorganic chem, 1 year of organic chem, 1 year of physics - ALL of the above with labs - plus English (1 year) and depending on the school a certain level of math. There's a reason so many Pre-Meds wind up as science majors.

Also, if you never listen to anything I ever tell you EVER - Do what it takes - WHAT IT TAKES - to get good grades. ESPECIALLY in the science classes. Good probably means 3.4 - 4.0+ cumulative GPA. And study, study, study for your MCAT. A good MCAT can offset sub-par grades (Thank God), but having both makes things a LOT easier.

If you want to know more, ASK. I'll help in any way I can, keeping in mind I haven't been down this road long myself. But, if this is something you really want to do, then just do whatever it takes to do it.

What the HELL - I typed out this big long monolithic thing encouraging you, and telling you what I know - and it never POSTED?! And now I'm in a new browser window.

Just flipping perfect.

Long story short: You can find all kinds of information using Google. Use it. You need a year of bio, 1 year of inorganic chem, 1 year of organic chem, 1 year of physics - ALL of the above with labs - plus English (1 year) and depending on the school a certain level of math. There's a reason so many Pre-Meds wind up as science majors.

Also, if you never listen to anything I ever tell you EVER - Do what it takes - WHAT IT TAKES - to get good grades. ESPECIALLY in the science classes. Good probably means 3.4 - 4.0+ cumulative GPA. And study, study, study for your MCAT. A good MCAT can offset sub-par grades (Thank God), but having both makes things a LOT easier.
Thanks so much for this post :D I ADORE Science. In my Chemistry class right now, I have a 100% average. And last year, when I took some Physics, I had a 90% average, so thank God for that. I HATE MATH THOUGH, so that's probably going to be a problem. Again, thank you so much for replying... awesome :D I'm still not sure I'm going to do this - I'm doing a year at a SUNY college as an undeclared major, to kind of feel out the field, but if I do decide to go into medicine, I'm transferring down to Florida :D

If you want to know more, ASK. I'll help in any way I can, keeping in mind I haven't been down this road long myself. But, if this is something you really want to do, then just do whatever it takes to do it.
Are you doing med school or something like that right now? Seems you know a lot from personal experience. If you are, is it really hard? I'm a little scared I'll be overwhelmed.

Undergrad, with getting into med school being the ultimate overarching goal. Though I've gone through SO many majors I'm a one-man admissions council.

Trust me, GET GOOD GRADES IN UNDERGRAD. I can't stress that enough. And STUDY FOR YOUR MCAT.

And go to class - and make friends with professors: don't be a perpetual kiss-ass, but they're people too. If you can get them to like you, that's positive recommenadations. Particularly good for senior faculty.

Honestly, my first couple of years dug me in such a hole that I'm probably going to be spending the rest of this decade in a state of perpetual worry that I can't dig myself out - so PLEASE trust me on the grades thing.

Sweet :D Good luck with that!

I've always been good at making friends with teachers, so that should be pretty easy. And I will definitely make good grades and all that jazz. I'm excited to start my life over in college, since high school wasn't all that hot, schoolwork wise.

If you are, is it really hard? I'm a little scared I'll be overwhelmed.

I've talked with a couple of doctors about it, and a couple people there now - it's not the easiest few years of your life, but if you work at it, and if you're willing to give up a lot of your "free time", you can do it.

And then, once residency's done, you get to make piles of money the rest of your LIFE!. And help people, too.

Sweet :D Good luck with that!

I've always been good at making friends with teachers, so that should be pretty easy. And I will definitely make good grades and all that jazz. I'm excited to start my life over in college, since high school wasn't all that hot, schoolwork wise.

Another piece of advice: If, on some nights, you're faced with being asked to go to [place x] with friends until 3 AM, or going to bed to get up for class the next morning - I did the former, and I'd invent time travel to go back and do the latter.

Which reminds me, I either need to go to bed, or drive to Bowling Green (1 3/4 hour drive)

Talk to my older stepsister. I have her as a friend on myspace. Check my top 16, my older stepsis is #12 there.

She is in med school right now -- St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. She did her undergrad at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She would be able to answer any questions you have. If you send her a msg, tell her I told you to talk to her.

Trust me, GET GOOD GRADES IN UNDERGRAD. I can't stress that enough. And STUDY FOR YOUR MCAT.
Honestly, my first couple of years dug me in such a hole that I'm probably going to be spending the rest of this decade in a state of perpetual worry that I can't dig myself out - so PLEASE trust me on the grades thing.

I can't agree more. i'm on the same boat as you. I'm a nursing major, and I dug myself into a hole my first year and a half. I somehow got my act together the end of my second year and managed to get into the nursing program. In the end I hope to get into med school as well. Anyways, in addition to everything, do volunteer work. get involved in different activities. Although your grades matter, the want to see that you are a well rounded person. Try sports, and the red cross. Everything counts, trust me, EVERYTHING. Good luck.

I think you can do whatever you put your mind to. Having a grasp of the sciences is a great start as that's where so many students struggle. I can see just from your behavior on this site that you're strong willed with a great sense of humor. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think you'd make a cool doctor. The world could use a few of those. :D

Do some research, talk to others, get advice from a few admissions people, and if it's for you, go for it. You can always change your major down the road.

I think you can do whatever you put your mind to. Having a grasp of the sciences is a great start as that's where so many students struggle. I can see just from your behavior on this site that you're strong willed with a great sense of humor. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think you'd make a cool doctor. The world could use a few of those. :D

Do some research, talk to others, get advice from a few admissions people, and if it's for you, go for it. You can always change your major down the road.
That honestly made me grin. Thank you for saying that! :D I know for sure that I'm doing at least one year as an undeclared major, so we'll see how my feelings throughout that year go, but I really think I want to do this.

There are some schools out there that combine pre-med and med school years into one big 8 year lump, students seem to like it.

The medical school in my campus (USC's Keck School of Medicine) has a similar program. You should look into that.