I'm wondering, what seems to interrest me most is being a doctor or being in medicine of some sort. Only thing that interrests me and I only live once so I might as well go for it. From what I can see I need a first degree before entering a medical school. I read that it can be either a BA or BS why would they let you in with an arts degree? Just wondering what I should do to go about eventually getting into medicine.
Going into medicine and becoming a doctor?
- Thread starter JMAC
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the new trend in medicine is to take in students who have a broad base of knowledge so you can get in with a BA in history or whatever but you will still need to take the pre-med sciences (biochem, micro, etc) so you can pass the mcats and get into a school. the curriculum in med school is pretty heavy the first two years - lots of memorizing formulas and whatnot - so be ready for that.
i work for the brody school of medicine at east carolina university in greenville nc so if you want the real scoop PM me - i work first-hand with the students and am amazed at what they go through. but many of them have BA degrees - however with the life sciences you have to take they generally minor in something like biology or chemistry. anyway that's my 2 cents.
i work for the brody school of medicine at east carolina university in greenville nc so if you want the real scoop PM me - i work first-hand with the students and am amazed at what they go through. but many of them have BA degrees - however with the life sciences you have to take they generally minor in something like biology or chemistry. anyway that's my 2 cents.
Go for it bro and good luck. I wanted to be a doctor when I was a kid but realized after I saw someone break their leg that I wasnt cut out for it. The sight of his mangled leg and hearing him scream made me sick. The sight of blood isnt so bad but seeing the picture of biggins broken hand made me have to go and lay down in bed for a half hour because I was queasy. Im such a wimp.
i have a ba (ab, actually) in computer science of all things, and i'm in med school. the prerequisites are how they make sure you know your peas from your carrots:
- 1 year (or at least a semester) of English
- 1 year of general (non-orgo) chemistry
- 1 year of organic chemistry
- 1 year of physics
- 1 year of biology
and then you have to take the MCAT: http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm . the mcat is an all day test (and i mean ALL DAY, not half a day like the SAT) that covers reading, writing, all brands of chemistry, biology, physics, with random human biology bits thrown in, like how kidney nephrons or the heart works.
people from my class come from all different backgrounds, from Fine Arts to Biochem. to get into med school requires that you strut your stuff on the MCAT, complete the prerequisites with good grades, and generally have your life together so that the admissions committee won't think you'll fall apart. i have noticed no correlation between degree and performance -- the MCAT is the only good predictor, and that's only of the "step one" board exam you take at the end of second year, not of their eventual performance on the wards.
ok, that was probably more than you wanted to hear.
- 1 year (or at least a semester) of English
- 1 year of general (non-orgo) chemistry
- 1 year of organic chemistry
- 1 year of physics
- 1 year of biology
and then you have to take the MCAT: http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm . the mcat is an all day test (and i mean ALL DAY, not half a day like the SAT) that covers reading, writing, all brands of chemistry, biology, physics, with random human biology bits thrown in, like how kidney nephrons or the heart works.
people from my class come from all different backgrounds, from Fine Arts to Biochem. to get into med school requires that you strut your stuff on the MCAT, complete the prerequisites with good grades, and generally have your life together so that the admissions committee won't think you'll fall apart. i have noticed no correlation between degree and performance -- the MCAT is the only good predictor, and that's only of the "step one" board exam you take at the end of second year, not of their eventual performance on the wards.
ok, that was probably more than you wanted to hear.
being an EMT is my start..but i'm only trying to be a medic not a doc.
Ok so basically I need 1 degree of pretty much anything. Than I have to pass a MCAT to get into med school. I;m switching to science next year, so I'll either go into hum kinetics or some science thing in Uni. Which is what I would do even if I wasn't going to become a doctor. Thats actaully really cool that I don;t HAVE to decide for a good while yet. I have to still get out of cegep and into Uni 
Sorry about off-topic, but how much it costs to study in a medical school in US? I`m trying to get into a med school in Finland... I bet you didn`t know it`s free here. 
Only problem is that it`s really, really hard school to get into. About 650 people per university take the test, and only ~120 get accepted. There are 5 universitys where you can study medicine, so only 600 people/year get to study in med school. 
Only problem is that it`s really, really hard school to get into. About 650 people per university take the test, and only ~120 get accepted. There are 5 universitys where you can study medicine, so only 600 people/year get to study in med school. 
crap dude, 120 out of 650 is not bad at all for a free public university system.Masse said:Sorry about off-topic, but how much it costs to study in a medical school in US? I`m trying to get into a med school in Finland... I bet you didn`t know it`s free here.
we have free med-schools here too. but its like 52000 people apply for 2000 openings (for all majors i say, medicine being the most competitive school with a 50 to 1 ratio).
for a foreign student in a US school (i was one), if you go to a public school you will end up paying as much as a private for the out of state and intl fees, so basically no matter where you go, its gonna be expensive.
the most expensive med school i remember was some med school in colorado that was something like 75k bucks a year for foreign people, the cheapest i know of goes for around 32k a year in U alabama-birmingham. that is an full basic budget including housing and those stuff.
plus it isnt that easy to get into med school in the US either.... good schools probably have lower acceptance rates than those you talk about in finland....
Thanks for the info. I`m not going to study abroad or anything, just got interested. My buddy just moved to Australia, and med school there is about 8k/year.
It might sound like it`s easy to get into a med school here because of those pretty high acceptance rates... well, truth is something else. Competition is really, really hard, and it`s getting harder all the time. I know only a few people who got in on their first attempt. It`s a long project. Basicly you have to know everything about college (or what`s the proper term for a school you go to before university? Well you got the idea..) physics and chemistry. It`s a bit hard to explain, as I don`t have correct words for finnish school systems...
Few more stupid questions: where do you get the money for school? 32k is a sh*tload of cash. Parents? Job? Bank? And how long it takes to complete med school there? In Finland it`s about 6½ years+2 years of training in a hospital after graduating. After that you`re qualified to practice med all alone, if u want to. Sorry about misspellings, trying to write as good as I can.
ps. most of people who want to study in a med school, have chemistry as their plan B, as it`s easier to get into a med school after studying university-level chemistry for a while. It shouldn`t be too hard to quess what`s my plan B.
It might sound like it`s easy to get into a med school here because of those pretty high acceptance rates... well, truth is something else. Competition is really, really hard, and it`s getting harder all the time. I know only a few people who got in on their first attempt. It`s a long project. Basicly you have to know everything about college (or what`s the proper term for a school you go to before university? Well you got the idea..
) physics and chemistry. It`s a bit hard to explain, as I don`t have correct words for finnish school systems... Few more stupid questions: where do you get the money for school? 32k is a sh*tload of cash. Parents? Job? Bank?
And how long it takes to complete med school there? In Finland it`s about 6½ years+2 years of training in a hospital after graduating. After that you`re qualified to practice med all alone, if u want to. Sorry about misspellings, trying to write as good as I can.ps. most of people who want to study in a med school, have chemistry as their plan B, as it`s easier to get into a med school after studying university-level chemistry for a while. It shouldn`t be too hard to quess what`s my plan B.
Student Loans. A lot of folks start there first real job with a huge debt.Masse said:Few more stupid questions: where do you get the money for school? 32k is a sh*tload of cash. Parents? Job? Bank?
I think med school is like 4 years, a couple of years of residency(intern), and a couple more years if you want to specialize in something like surgery, pediatrics etc. Plus you have to get a college degree -- another four years -- before you can get into med school.
It's a lot easier now to get into Canadian Med schools. Most have doubled their quota since I got in (mid 90's).
Most require you to have a degree but if you are a real brainiac, you might get by with 2 years.
Still need the MCAT, aim for at least 10's.
Consider that all schools except Calgary and McMaster are 4 years. Those 2 are only 3 year programs.
Residencies are 2 years (Family docs) upto 7+(brain surgeons). Most are 5 year programs plus 1-3 years for fellowships if you are ambitious.
Good luck and if you are my student one day, watch out... just kidding.
Most require you to have a degree but if you are a real brainiac, you might get by with 2 years.
Still need the MCAT, aim for at least 10's.
Consider that all schools except Calgary and McMaster are 4 years. Those 2 are only 3 year programs.
Residencies are 2 years (Family docs) upto 7+(brain surgeons). Most are 5 year programs plus 1-3 years for fellowships if you are ambitious.
Good luck and if you are my student one day, watch out... just kidding.
you get paid starting as an intern:JMAC said:
4 years of (unpaid) college
4 years of (unpaid, barring m.d./ph.d. program trickery) med school
then you start getting paid, not much tho until you're out of residency:
1 year of internship
2-7+ years of residency
1-2 years of fellowship, optional
then into practice.
Wumpus said:
well, for americans you can get loans, deferred payment, scholarships and that kind of stuff.
if you are a foreign student interested in going to school in the US all the money has to come from your pockets (in my case, my mom and dad).
usually, they require you to show proof of at least the amount you will need for the first whole year of college, from 25k and up (depending on the school it may be up to 75k) in readily available funds, like cash in a bank, or CDs, before they issue you a student visa.
i dont know if this is a requirement for all countries, but for peru, it is.
keep in mind, that foreign students cannot apply for need-based scholarships, or student loans and that kinda of stuff. and usually there are no scholarships for foreign people on public schools. in private schools, your chances to score finantial aid are somewhat better, but still competition for them is usually higher than for americans.
also, its illegal to work while on a student visa. you need a permit for that which is kinda hard to get. but you can work in jobs on-campus. you might get a job that pays you in cash under the table... but its kinda risky because if they caught you, they will kick you out of the country.......
so if you plan to attend a med school as a foreign student, it would be wise to have all the funds available before you jump into the US.....
and seeing that in finland is free, and you can go to australia for 8k a year... that sounds like a pretty good deal to me...
if somebody asked me... i would not attend a school in the US again.... its not that good of a deal... Canada or France are much much cheaper plus you can have other benefits (like finantial aid, scholarships and work permits) not available to foreign students in the US......
your reason for going to med school is the same reason i want to take the LSAT.
but, i'm sick of "school" as it is now, and don't really think i'd care to stick around any longer than needed. UT has an MPA program that i didn't find out about until a couple weeks ago that adds 12hrs of graduate accounting into the standard 120h economics degree plan, which will give you an MPA at time of graduation. that would've been nice. MPA, BA Eco, and a business minor. c'est la vie.
Alexis_DH, i went to a forum regarding the new tuition hike for UT (15hr flat-rate tuition [regardless of # of hours being taken]) and there was a girl there from Africa who said exactly what you just said. i was always under the impression that foreign folks were either getting some insane tuition breaks, or were getting a lot of scholorship money. i guess that's why she was crying, saying she would not be able to stay in the US.
but, i'm sick of "school" as it is now, and don't really think i'd care to stick around any longer than needed. UT has an MPA program that i didn't find out about until a couple weeks ago that adds 12hrs of graduate accounting into the standard 120h economics degree plan, which will give you an MPA at time of graduation. that would've been nice. MPA, BA Eco, and a business minor. c'est la vie.
indeed. figure i'll be looking at around $40k, and that's just for an undergrad degree. though, i could probably finish up a second major for $10k more.Wumpus said:
Alexis_DH, i went to a forum regarding the new tuition hike for UT (15hr flat-rate tuition [regardless of # of hours being taken]) and there was a girl there from Africa who said exactly what you just said. i was always under the impression that foreign folks were either getting some insane tuition breaks, or were getting a lot of scholorship money. i guess that's why she was crying, saying she would not be able to stay in the US.
whew. after working for two years at beth israel-deaconess in boston, all i can say after watching the interns/residents for two years........it's buttloads of stress, for very long periods of time. and the income potential of docs isn't the same as it was 20 years ago.
i'm glad i'm a nurse. less money, for sure, but i only work three 12's a week.......and play the rest.
no offense to any of the med students/premed folks here; trust the nurses you'll be working with, especially in the ER and ICU. they know their sh#t. and we can make some of your on call nights very difficult if you're impolite with us.......
have fun with it, enjoy it, and best of luck!
i'm glad i'm a nurse. less money, for sure, but i only work three 12's a week.......and play the rest.
no offense to any of the med students/premed folks here; trust the nurses you'll be working with, especially in the ER and ICU. they know their sh#t. and we can make some of your on call nights very difficult if you're impolite with us.......
have fun with it, enjoy it, and best of luck!
how do you figure that? you start getting paid once you get out of med school. i'm about the typical age, and i'll be 26 when i graduate. i don't plan to retire when i'm 30 altho that would be niceJMAC said:
good plan on getting into Uni, etc. tho. don't put the cart before the horse.
Toshi, just curious, what area of medicine are you studying?Toshi said:how do you figure that? you start getting paid once you get out of med school. i'm about the typical age, and i'll be 26 when i graduate. i don't plan to retire when i'm 30 altho that would be nice
good plan on getting into Uni, etc. tho. don't put the cart before the horse.
we don't have to pick until about the third year. i'm still a first year, so i know nothingI Are Baboon said:
. i'm leaning towards some kind of surgery or radiology, maybe. probably not one of the "patient contact" fields like family practice
bigginsis said:
Ack...don't encourage him...have you read any of this guys posts?
Toshi said:we don't have to pick until about the third year. i'm still a first year, so i know nothing
Ohhh...good thinking. But still in surgery, you have contact with patients...
Do me a favor and develop some better artificial joints, I'm going to need some down the road.Toshi said:we don't have to pick until about the third year. i'm still a first year, so i know nothing
Going into medicine only thinking about getting paid probably isn't the best way to go about things.JMAC said:
It's a crapload of work and stress for years and years, and it takes a toll on your body and your mind. It can be heavy stuff. Going through all that just for money isn't that fun.
I've got a lot of friends who are in med school right now in various stages. They are working so hard, it's hard to compare my bad day at work, to their stress levels with tests and all that.
Ahh, cool.Toshi said:we don't have to pick until about the third year. i'm still a first year, so i know nothing
The residents at our hospital put in a ton, and I mean a TON of hours.
Westy said:
And while your at it...find a cure for diabetes...I'm sick of shooting up 4 times a day and not getting high off of it!
Gimme your little bottles of insuline, I'll fix that for yadh girlie said:And while your at it...find a cure for diabetes...I'm sick of shooting up 4 times a day and not getting high off of it!
neaky: <getting some windex ready>
You must have it pretty bad. Friend of mine in college had diabetes and he only had to get a shot twice a day. He'd get too drunk sometimes and make people give him his shots, we were usually just as drunk. He'd wake up bruised the next day from it, and on a few occasions with some busted off needles.dh girlie said:And while your at it...find a cure for diabetes...I'm sick of shooting up 4 times a day and not getting high off of it!
Westy said:
it's not so much having it 'bad'...I'm on what they call intensive therapy. Larger doses of insulin less frequently throughout the day posed to be too much at once for me and caused me to have frequent low swings in my bloodsugar levels...so I take little doses before every meal...just to cover exactly what I'm eating...then I take a long acting insulin at night before bed...I've always given myself my shots...I don't think I could let anyone give me a shot...it sucks either way, trust me.