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Ask the Guru a question.Premed and Health Care Majors
No one in my family has ever gone to college or a university before so I am very new to this! I want to know if I can major in medicine at Stanford. If so, what are the guidlines to become a doctor? Can you please help me out?
It’s great that you’re the first one in your family to attend college!
You don’t major in “medicine” when you’re an undergraduate, but rather you take a premed program. While you’ll have to take certain science and math courses to apply to medical school, you actually can pick almost any major as long as you get in the courses required by medical schools. While you can certainly major in premed at Stanford, there are a lot of good schools for a premed student and it’s smart to apply to several schools.
Keep in mind that Stanford is one of the most competitive schools in the country, which can’t accept anywhere near the number of qualified students that apply. So, make sure you apply to a number of schools, including some “safety” schools. Also, remember that you don’t have to attend Stanford as an undergraduate to apply and/or be accepted into Stanford Medical School. There are many fine medical schools, and I suggest not worrying about which one you might go to at this point. Instead, look at the best schools for your undergraduate education, remembering to consider not just the academics, such as the quality of the pre-med program, but factors such as size, location, student mix and financial aid availability.
The guidelines to becoming a doctor can vary, but generally students obtain an undergraduate degree and then take a standardized test (MCAT) to get into a four-year medical school. After graduation from medical school, students then enter into a “residency” at a hospital, which usually lasts two or three years. You then would need to pass the licensing exam for the state in which you want to practice.
Good luck!
You don’t major in “medicine” when you’re an undergraduate, but rather you take a premed program. While you’ll have to take certain science and math courses to apply to medical school, you actually can pick almost any major as long as you get in the courses required by medical schools. While you can certainly major in premed at Stanford, there are a lot of good schools for a premed student and it’s smart to apply to several schools.
Keep in mind that Stanford is one of the most competitive schools in the country, which can’t accept anywhere near the number of qualified students that apply. So, make sure you apply to a number of schools, including some “safety” schools. Also, remember that you don’t have to attend Stanford as an undergraduate to apply and/or be accepted into Stanford Medical School. There are many fine medical schools, and I suggest not worrying about which one you might go to at this point. Instead, look at the best schools for your undergraduate education, remembering to consider not just the academics, such as the quality of the pre-med program, but factors such as size, location, student mix and financial aid availability.
The guidelines to becoming a doctor can vary, but generally students obtain an undergraduate degree and then take a standardized test (MCAT) to get into a four-year medical school. After graduation from medical school, students then enter into a “residency” at a hospital, which usually lasts two or three years. You then would need to pass the licensing exam for the state in which you want to practice.
Good luck!
I've read in one of your responses, that for a student looking to go eventually to medical school, they should look for undergraduate pre-med programs that have a high acceptance rate for their students. How do you identify those schools with strong pre-med programs and high medical school acceptance rates?
Typically, schools will make note of their high rate of medical school acceptances somewhere in the literature about their pre-med programs. You can also speak with admissions counselors at the schools which you’re interested in attending to learn about their success at getting students into medical school.
That said, you should be wary of schools that boast of high acceptance rates. Often schools inflate these numbers by telling students who are unlikely to get into medical school to withdraw from the program and find another major. Likewise, these statistics don’t typically account for students who take time off before applying to medical school.
Good luck!
That said, you should be wary of schools that boast of high acceptance rates. Often schools inflate these numbers by telling students who are unlikely to get into medical school to withdraw from the program and find another major. Likewise, these statistics don’t typically account for students who take time off before applying to medical school.
Good luck!
I am a senior in high school, and I want to be a pediatrician. What can I do right now to start my career in the medical field?
Thanks for your question. The first thing you can do is to read up about pediatricians in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is updated every two years. Write down answers to these questions:
- Who does a pediatrician work with?
- What are the daily tasks of a pediatrician?
- Where do pediatricians work and what is the work environment like?
Think about these questions. Now consider, how can you start putting yourself in these situations right now, as a high school student? For example, you already know that pediatricians work with children. Are you volunteering with children in an after-school program? Helping out in a local church's nursery? Babysitting? You might also know that doctors of any kind need to have a broad background knowledge of the sciences. You could join the school's science club, work on an independent study project for biology or chemistry, or volunteer at the local science museum. In short, think about what being a pediatrician will "look like"; what you'll experience, and see if you can bring similar sorts of experiences into your life right now. You can also ask community physicians to job shadow them for a day.
Also to encourage you to develop a mindset of perseverance, remember that the education and training needed for a physician, according to the OOH, is 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and anywhere from 3 to 8 years of internship and residency. You'll want to select a pre-med or science major in college; the classes you'll need to take range from physics, biology, and chemistry to English and math. You're already thinking ahead, so that's a good step; your next steps will be to look into applying to schools that offer accredited pre-med and/or science programs. Good luck as you pursue a rewarding career.
- Who does a pediatrician work with?
- What are the daily tasks of a pediatrician?
- Where do pediatricians work and what is the work environment like?
Think about these questions. Now consider, how can you start putting yourself in these situations right now, as a high school student? For example, you already know that pediatricians work with children. Are you volunteering with children in an after-school program? Helping out in a local church's nursery? Babysitting? You might also know that doctors of any kind need to have a broad background knowledge of the sciences. You could join the school's science club, work on an independent study project for biology or chemistry, or volunteer at the local science museum. In short, think about what being a pediatrician will "look like"; what you'll experience, and see if you can bring similar sorts of experiences into your life right now. You can also ask community physicians to job shadow them for a day.
Also to encourage you to develop a mindset of perseverance, remember that the education and training needed for a physician, according to the OOH, is 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and anywhere from 3 to 8 years of internship and residency. You'll want to select a pre-med or science major in college; the classes you'll need to take range from physics, biology, and chemistry to English and math. You're already thinking ahead, so that's a good step; your next steps will be to look into applying to schools that offer accredited pre-med and/or science programs. Good luck as you pursue a rewarding career.
