by Jessica Chan
So you think you want to enter the field of medicine? Then medical school might be for you! Here, I will briefly discuss things to think about and steps to take in determining if four years of intense schooling on the human body may be a good fit for you.
Firstly, know and explore options. Establish how you want to use your talents and opportunities you have had to contribute to the world. The field of medicine affords excellent opportunities to serve, to care for the ill, to care for communities, to do research, to teach, to be constantly challenged, and to share ideas. But is it the only environment where these can be done? No – there are certainly other areas which will afford you similar opportunities.
Suppose you do feel the field of medicine is where you want to invest yourself. There are, of course, a plethora of specialties and subspecialties one can pursue as a physician, but remember there is a need for physician assistants, nurses, and researchers in each of those areas as well. The role of each is necessary to develop and provide patients with the best care possible, and each is integral in caring for a patient. Also, don’t forget about other routes of caring for patients, such as clinical psychology, for which medical school is not the schooling needed.
Perhaps you are confident that you want to become a physician, and you are wondering what steps you may take in order to have the best chance of gaining acceptance to a medical school. As a high school student, be aware of combined BS/MD programs which you may apply to during senior year. These programs offer a reserved seat in medical school as long as you meet predetermined requirements during undergrad, hence (for most of them) eliminating the need to go through the grueling and competitive medical school application process. It really is a relief to know exactly what you must do in order to matriculate, and takes away the anxiety of having to strive for excellent grades and build an exceptional CV, only to not necessarily be accepted. Speaking of that CV, as a high school or undergraduate student, in order to maximize your chances of med school acceptance, you should find opportunities to get a taste of what being a doctor is like – talk with physicians, residents, and med students, speak with patients, shadow, do an internship, volunteer in a hospital or outpatient setting, do research. Try to get a wide range of experiences and perspectives so that you have a good idea of what interests and does not interest you. And, constantly establish and re-establish what drives you: it will change; allow it to change! You may find that you really enjoy something you didn’t think you would, or vice versa. Be flexible with yourself, and give everything a fair chance. Stay engaged, remember what sparked your passion, be willing to work hard, and have rock-solid reasons for doing what you are doing, whether it be medicine or something else.
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