advice for a college student

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pathstudent

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Hi,

I just started my freshman year at UCLA? I am desperate to get into ENT for a residency after medical school. Is there any major that will help prepare me in college for my future application for ENT.

It is only 7 and 1/2 years until my Match. I am freaking out!

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Luckily I believe that there are few, if at all, residency programs that really care about what you did before medical school that doesn't involve something scholarly (i.e., research).

I can't think of a particular major that would establish that "I've been working toward becoming an ENT all my life" picture. Neuroscience for the neurosurgeons and probably finance for the dermatologists. :)
 
I agree with Tim...major in whatever you wish, it won't make a significant difference to your future medical school or residency program, nor will it "help" you in your future career.

This may be the last time in your life you have to study WHATEVER you wish - take advantage of it. If you're interested in Biology or Physics, then fine - but don't hesitate to major in Spanish or Music because you think it will hurt your future as an ENT.

Now relax and go have a nice bowl of Pad Thai at the noodle hosue in Westwood.
 
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As I struggle to communicate with the increasing latin american population, I really which I had taken Spanish during college! Nothing like paging a spanish interpreter stat to help deal with an acutely agitatied spanish speaking only pt!!
 
Originally posted by supercut
As I struggle to communicate with the increasing latin american population, I really which I had taken Spanish during college! Nothing like paging a spanish interpreter stat to help deal with an acutely agitatied spanish speaking only pt!!

You could probably use some help with your English as well...
 
Originally posted by pathstudent
It is only 7 and 1/2 years until my Match. I am freaking out!

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
 
The only possible things you could do right now to help get into ENT would be to prep yourself for good grades and research in med school. If you did some research in an area related to ENT now, that might help you get some good research going on later during medical school. Research will also help you get into medical school in the first place.

Your grades and whatnot in college won't matter at all for residency. But, when you apply to competitive residencies after medical school, having good grades from your first two years of med school, especially if you make AOA, can help. Regardless of what anybody who majored in biology tells you, classes you take in college can help very much for medical school classes. So if you really want to start gunning early on, take courses in human anatomy, biochem, neuroscience, physiology, microbiology, etc.

Conversely, you could also try to enjoy your last years of college (which could be the best years of your life) by taking classes in things which you enjoy and are a lot easier!
 
I think that there are a few points that need to be made here. The first is that it is way, I mean WAY, too early to think like that. You have to go through being a freshman first, where about 1/3 of people where I did undergrad got weeded out from premed, then biology, physics, MCAT, etc... So in terms of major, don't worry about it. Instead, make sure you really want to be a doctor. Secondly, only a small (<25%) of people who enter med school wanting to do anything actually stay true to their guns about it. You may say that you are dead set on ENT, but you really don't know. You may have seen some ENT, but you probably have little to compare it too and it just may seem cool because you saw some face trauma or something wild that seemed like it would be fun. Most ENT surgeons don't handle stuff like that anyway. Finally, ENT, like ortho, GS, urology are infiltrated with millions of applicants each year who look identical on paper. Like any good college, they could get the guys who got the 1600 SAT or the 280 Step I's without trying. What most of them want is somebody with good credentials who they feel is competent and they would want to spend A LOT of time operating with. The people they usually hate as students are the super up-tight people who freak out about little things, becuase those will be the one's who hammer page their attending when some minor thing comes in at 3AM. I would recommend just relaxing, enjoying college (if you can't have fun in LA you are not normal), and working hard to make sure that you enjoy medicine and pre med stuff. Pick a major that you like and do well in your premed stuff and you will be fine. But please, relax.
 
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