A 10th grader aspiring to become a surgeon should focus on maintaining strong academic performance, particularly in science subjects, while also gaining practical experience through volunteering and extracurricular activities. Key recommendations include volunteering at local hospitals, learning first aid through organizations like St. John's Ambulance or the Red Cross, and engaging in science fair projects with a medical focus. It is essential to balance these activities to avoid burnout, as various paths can lead to a medical career, and college pre-med requirements can vary significantly.
PREREQUISITESHigh school students interested in pursuing a career in medicine, particularly those aiming to become surgeons, as well as educators and parents guiding students in their academic and career planning.
Thank U!:)jtbell said:Assuming you're in the US, when you get to college, you'll follow whatever path they have for people who are interested in going to medical school later. Different colleges and universities do things differently, but it probably won't matter which specialty (e.g. surgery) you're aiming for.
The small college where I taught doesn't have a specific pre-medical major. Instead, a committee chooses a specific list of courses for pre-meds, who can major in anything they want so long as they can fit those courses in. The committee enforces that course list by writing recommendation letters for medical school applications, only for students who successfully complete those courses. I served on that committee for a few years, because all pre-meds there have to take freshman physics. Most pre-meds major in biology, but I remember also seeing chemistry, psychology, English, political science, and even physics. There were probably others that I don't remember.
Thank you!:)Choppy said:In high school it's very much about maintaining the best marks you can and learning as much as you can... about science, about people, about the medical profession.
Volunteering is a good thing. If you're interested in any kind of medical career, it's a good thing to try to get some kind of exposure to this as early as you can. There's a practical side to medicine that involves dealing with sick people that not everyone is cut out for, even if they are very smart. Things you can do in high school include:
- volunteering at a local hospital
- learning first aid, and then from here you can sometimes get involved with groups like St. John's Ambulance, or the Red Cross and help providing first aid at events like parades or festivals
- getting a job that involves an element of customer service
- when you're old enough you can volunteer for military service and select a medical trade
- do science fair projects that have a medical flavour such as developing an 'app' to predict blood sugar levels, etc.
The other thing to keep in mind is that you don't have to overdo it. I think a lot of people burn themselves out trying to do everything under the sun in pursuit of a long term goal that may or may not happen. There are many paths to get "there" from "here" and you don't have to be on the absolute optimal one.