High school is not too soon to think about your career choice in medicine, especially if you love biology. It allows you to prepare academically and explore various avenues that can help you to build a career in medical science. You can get information from your textbooks, library books, career counsel, medical summer camp, and your teachers. You can even find information from the online biology homework help that you referred to while completing your assignments. These resources can give you enough information to help you make up your mind whether you want to commit yourself to a medical career and apply for pre-med programs. Not only will it help your decision, but it will also help you along the way of preparations for applying to colleges and getting a positive response from them.
Is Medical Science the Right Choice for You?
If you know about careers in medicine from television or the trips to the hospital, you must learn a bit more about the profession before you make up your mind. Think about the reasons why you wish to get into a career in medicine. The most common reasons why high school students decide to choose a career in medicine are:
- They want to have a positive impact on the lives and health of other people.
- They have a strong sense of leadership.
- They are fond of getting challenged intellectually.
- They are intrigued by medical science.
- They are interested in surgical science.
- They believe in the positive impact of AI ML in healthcare.
Before you decide whether you want a career in medicine or not, you should be aware of the flip side of the coin too. Medical practitioners have to work for long hours, sometimes days at a time without rest. They also have to work in environments that can be very stressful. They also have to be prepared to face physical injuries of varying degrees.
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How Can You Find Out More About Medical Careers?
If you want to explore the different areas of medicine that might interest you, you can go through the information provided by The Association of American Medical Colleges on their website. It has many aspiring stories about individuals who made a career in medical science and made a difference in the world. Many videos can answer many questions that you might have about how to get into medical school, and how to build your career.
You can interview a doctor or a medical practitioner from the area of medicine in which you are interested. You can also learn about other branches of medicine and careers related to medical science. Some of the questions you can consider asking are:
- Why did the person choose a career in medical science? You can see if you can identify with the reason.
- What does a typical workday look like in the medical industry?
- What are the reasons for the person recommending you to a career in medicine?
- What are the things the person likes or dislikes about a career in medical science?
- How and why they made the decision about choosing a pre-med program and the medical school they attended?
You can also explore and see if you can volunteer at a local hospital or a medical center. It will allow you to see first hand how people in the medical industry work and whether you want to do that for the rest of your life. Other than giving you a clearer picture, you can also add the experience to your application. Medical schools prefer to choose students who have shown interest in medicine since high school.
How Can You Prepare for a Pre-Med College When You Are in High School?
If you want to prepare for a pre-med major, you have to choose the correct courses in high school. You must have maths, psychics, chemistry, and biology. You will also have to pick a combination of AP, Honors, and IP courses that are accepted by medical schools. There are also places where you can get your medical certificate online. For example, you will be better prepared for your next step if you take an online Basic Life Support course. It will add experience to your resume and show that you are ready to join the healthcare industry. It will also help you to get ready for the Medical College Admissions Test. Let us examine the subjects individually and understand where you need to focus.
Science
You will need a strong foundation in science subjects because you will need to take a lot of science classes in college. Try taking AP courses in biology and chemistry since a solid background knowledge of these subjects will help you in college and pre-med school. You might consider an AP course in psychics too, as it might give you added advantage. Thorough knowledge of science subjects will help you crack the medical admission tests too after college. Pay extra attention to what you learn in the lab. Practical skills are as essential as theoretical knowledge of science. Lab work will also give you a better foundation for conducting experiments in college and medical school.
Other Subjects
MCAT includes a section of questions related to psychological and social behavior, so you can consider preparing for these subjects in college. Take additional classes or look for online tutoring to get help with these subjects, as they can seem a bit complicated for high school. Concentrating on science does not mean that you can ignore the language skills and knowledge. MCAT will test your critical analysis and reasoning skills, so you must practice reading and answering comprehension sections. You can also study humanities or social science subjects, as the passages from these subjects are used to test your analysis and reasoning skills.
You can consider joining a high school summer program for medical sciences so that you can get a better look at the world of medicine and know what it feels like to work alongside medical professionals. Many high school medical summer programs provide lab training, which can give you an insight into research jobs related to the medical industry.
If you want a career in medicine, you will have to dedicate yourself to a life of academics. You must have your priorities in order and be ready to sacrifice many parts of a normal or social life for the betterment of humanity.
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