Originally posted by lil dik dok 2B
Hello everybody. I am new to this forum. I am currently a 14 year old middle school student and am in eighth grade. I want to be a surgeon. What kind of classes should I take and what kind of school should I go to? I want to start preparing already because my mom says that I need to get a job soon and I don't know what to do. I would especially appreciate help from a surgeon who can tell me what I can do. Especially if you have lots of experience. Thank you very much.
Steven
Hi Steven,
As a middle school student, you want to take as much science and math as you can. Buzz through algebra and geometry so you can get to the good stuff like trig and calculus. Learn to love the science because medicine is applied science.
Find a sport or hobby that you enjoy such as soccer, tennis or computer games. Things that improve your eye-hand coordination are good practice for budding surgeons. (I didn't know that I wanted to be a surgeon until I was in medical school but I love tennis, golf and soccer). You also need to keep in good physical condition so sports are good things.
Volunteer at your local hospital or nursing home so that you get comfortable being around people who are ill. Nursing home patients need younger folks to read mail and help them write letters. Volunteer at your local hospital delivering flowers and rocking little babies in the nursery. It's fun and you get some valuable experience.
Find a surgeon in your time that will let you spend a day or two with him or her. Follow them around and see if you really like surgery. A couple of my bosses regularly allow high school students to visit their offices and observe surgeries.
You want to do well in school and get into a good four-year university. You can major in anything you like but you have to take the pre-med sciences which are General Chemistry, General Biology, General Physics and Organic Chemistry. Many medical schools require Calculus and Molecular Biology so look out for these schools. You need to do well in college and try not to get any grade less than B+. In the spring of your junior year in college, you will take the MCAT exam, which is a scaled-up version of the SAT exam. You need to do well on this exam for entry into medical school.
During the summer between your junior and senior year of college, you will apply to medical school. If you have good grades in college (remember no grade lower than B+ with more As than B+ grades) and your MCAT grades are good along with good volunteer experiences and letters of recommendation, you will be invited to interview at some medical schools. If you interview well and you application is good, you will be offered a seat in medical school.
Right now, you can practice and hone your study skills so that you become an efficient student. Medical school involves learning lots of facts and information very quickly so you can get your brain in shape by doing very well in school. Practice for your SATs.
At the end of your third year of medical school, you will choose a specialty (surgery!) and apply for residency. Assuming that you have done fairly well in medical school and on your medical board exams, you will be invited to interview for residency. As you finish first, second and third year of medical school, you will learn more about the residency application process so your task at this point is to do well in middle and high school, get into a good four-year college or university and do well there in the major of your choice.
If you take lots of math and science in middle, jr. high and high school, college math and science will be easier for you. So start working on good study habits. Get in good physical condition so that you can go for the long haul. Finally, enjoy yourself and enjoy learning.
Tell your Mom if you are having difficulty managing a job and school work. Your school work is the most important thing for you at this point. If you do very well in junior high and high school, you can get a scholarship to college to cover your expenses. With a good scholarship, you won't have to work and interfere with your studies.
Good luck!
njbmd
