Any Doctors on Oppo?

"Van Man, rocks the Man Van" (jacoboconnell)
10/16/2015 at 17:19 • Filed to: Oppositelock

First of all: Happy Friday everyone! So I’m in high school, which means I’m almost in college, which means I’m almost out in the “real world” on my own. Over the last few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do when I grow up, and I think I want to become a doctor. Specifically, a cardiologist.

Also to keep this semi car related, I do know one doctor who is a local prep school basketball coach and does orthopedic surgeries. He drives a Mercedes GL550 and a Bentley Flying Spur. He says he has never wished for a different job.

Both my mom’s parents are doctors, so it also kind of runs in the family. However, it’s tough to talk to them about medical stuff because they are much older (and therefore things were much different when they were younger) and they live in another country (which means I don’t see them often and things are probably done differently there).

Is anyone on here a doctor? If so, what can I do now, in high school, to improve my chances of becoming one? Any classes I should be taking? I get good grades, I’ve got a good memory, and I like science. What do I need to do after HS to secure a job as a doctor?What’s it like?

Car for your time

DISCUSSION (17)

TheHondaBro > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/16/2015 at 17:24

Kinja'd!!!

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > TheHondaBro
10/16/2015 at 17:30

hi Shirley

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/16/2015 at 17:37

I’ve heard that medical school is hell, especially residency, but it’s probably worth it.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
10/16/2015 at 17:40

Well, I’ll say high school has been pretty tough, and I’ve got sports on top of that. At least then I won’t have sports, so even if it is tougher I’ll be able to focus more on that vs. extracurriculars. However, I bet it is very much worth it if I am able to get an enjoyable job with good pay. I’ve heard residencies are challenging, but even they still pay well above average and can get you into a much better job.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/16/2015 at 17:44

That would be me, I guess, though I still have two years for graduation... but unfortunately the American and Brazilian education systems are so radically different it’s hard to give out any advice at all. One thing that’s probably the same everywhere is that there’s a lot of work involved...

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/16/2015 at 17:44

I’m not a doctor, but two thoughts come to my mind...

First, if you can handle biology and disecting animals, that’s a good first step.

Second, the schooling and residency is hell from what I hear (not just from Daily Drives a dragon)... but obviously the payoff later is huge.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
10/16/2015 at 17:47

1) I’ve dissected a couple animals (sharks, frogs, pigeons) and the only things that bothered me were the smell and the fact that the dead animal I was taking apart had once been, you know, living. However, I heard some seniors that take a specific class go to visit a morgue, so I’ll probably do that and see how it goes.

2) That's pretty much what I've heard, but yeah, the payoff is great.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
10/16/2015 at 18:23

It’s more like Stockholm Syndrome, I guess. At first, all you want to do is get the hell back home, hang out with your friends, see your family. Eventually, the hospital becomes your home. All your friends are your own colleagues, and you’re assigned a last name based on the year you graduate, like “Joe from 2015” or “Bob from 2016”. All of your girlfriends from the third year on will be colleagues, and breaking up won’t be specially traumatic because you’ll see your exes over 12 hours a day every day. Once you get used to it, though, it’s pretty chill.

MrDakka > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/16/2015 at 18:25

Just don’t party too hard when you’re in college :)

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/16/2015 at 18:27

If medschool in the US is anything like in Brazil, there is a course in medical jurisprudence where you’ll come across all kinds of gross stuff. At that point, you’ll probably be pretty used to it, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

traitor joe > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/16/2015 at 18:30

Funnily enough, cardiologists have some of the lowest job satisfaction of any specialty.

Anyway, I’m waiting to hear back from med school admissions now so I can offer some perspective. Medical schools don’t really care what you did in high school. It also doesn’t matter what college or university you attend, so go wherever is cheapest or most convenient.

Once you enter university, make sure to do well in your classes. If you can get A’s, you are pretty much guaranteed to make it somewhere. There are different prerequisite courses for some schools, but most are the same. Organic chemistry, cell bio, biochemistry, math and english courses and so on. Nothing too difficult, but you will dig yourself a hole if you do poorly. Application requirements are easy to find online, so start thinking about your first year courses now. Throw in some health-related courses for good measure. Schools like it when you take a full course load (bachelor’s in 4 years) but if you need an extra semester to nail down A’s, that is much more important.

Make sure you do some health-related extracurricular stuff. Volunteer at a hospital, old folk’s home, or something. How long you have been doing it for is much more important than how many hours you amass, so even 2 or 3 hours a week looks really good if it goes on for 4+ years (start now). Common things are acting as a scribe for the ER, doing triage in a clinic setting, palliative care, working with chronic illness, helping in a lab, or whatever. The important thing is to get experience working directly with those who have health problems, and there are lots of opportunities available.

Next, think of what school you want to attend. You are much more likely to be accepted at a school where you are already an in state resident. If you really like a certain school, it may be wise to move to that state for undergrad, and some schools are harder to get into than others with regards to grades and clinical experience so it’s best to figure that out ahead of time. Know that unless there is a specific program you really want, any medical school in North America will give you the same level of education and the same capability to pursue your desired specialty.

One last thing, you will need 5-10 reference letters, one will have to be from an MD and 3-5 will have to be from university professors. It’s easy enough to meet an MD if you volunteer, but don’t get caught at the end of your degree without having a few professors that you can count (or at least know your name).

If you are still in HS your plan will continue to evolve but these are the basics. You are far too young to be worried about what you will do after med school at this point. In the meantime, don’t do anything stupid, if you get a criminal record you can basically kiss any hope of becoming a doctor goodbye.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > MrDakka
10/16/2015 at 20:24

I don't plan on it. Honestly, I think beer is nasty (I can't even smell it) and parties are too loud for me.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > traitor joe
10/16/2015 at 20:34

Thanks for the insight! I’ve heard that Med schools don’t care what you do in college as long as it’s decently challenging and you get good grades. I don’t know how, but I didn’t realize you needed reference letters, but I think I’ll be fine with that because I know several doctors very well and my teachers generally like me. There’s a good Med school within a half hour of me, so that’s good, especially since I can just commute to school and save money there. I’m not sure about volunteering and stuff because I’m fairly busy, but I’ll see what I can do about that.

Oh and good luck with Med school!

E92M3 > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/16/2015 at 20:58

The first thing you need to do is get straight A’s. Then load up on science classes. You only need chemistry and biology to graduate highschool. I would consider taking advanced biology, chemistry, and physics if you can. That will make your first college courses easier. If you can take AP courses you could even get some college credits out of the way. Start researching what you will need to get some scholarships. Med school is expensive. Most doctors leave school with a large amount of student loans. Don’t let that scare you. A cardiologist can make $300k+ a year.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > E92M3
10/16/2015 at 21:02

Straight A’s- check

Science classes- plan on it so check

AP classes- not a bad idea

Scholarships- dunno about med school but an athletic scholarship in college isn’t out of the question right now

I'm honestly not too concerned about loans because a) I plan to be smart with my money and b) if I'm not, both my parents are in finance and can talk some sense into me.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > E92M3
10/16/2015 at 22:33

Also, how help are Latin classes in medicine? Because that's what I'm taking now.

E92M3 > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/16/2015 at 22:38

Another good class to take. You’ll have to take it again in college, but it will be easier for you the 2nd time around.