I want to become a doctor but i'm not sure if I can?

Question

Ok so I have not finished highschool yet. I used to be homeschooled from a homeschooling program. I an currently getting ready to finish. I have about 12 to 13 subjects to finish. So Its bee along time since I have done any schooling. I'm 24 and I want to go to college after I finish. I will get a highschool deploma too. So what I'm wondering is if I can sitll become a doctor ? do I need to take any tests to go to college ? what type of college can I get into with my schooling history? any help or suggestions would be great

Answer 1

Of course you can still become a doctor. You will need to get into college for an undergrad degree first. If you do really well, you will be able to switch to medical school before you get your degree. Most people (at least where I live) have a degree before getting into med school. You will have to see what the requirements are for med school before getting into college to make sure that you take the necessary courses.

You can get into any college you want if you meet the requirements. Start looking at colleges and contacting the admission's people. You are considered a "mature student" and can probably be admitted with different criteria than a typical student right out of high school.

Answer 2

Depends on where you want to attend school.  You should be fine getting into a college and then to medical school.  First concentrate on finding a college you would like to attend.  Contact their admissions department about getting their application and what requirements they may have for testing.  You need to focus on your core science requirements and get the best grades you can.  Once you are nearing graduation from your undergraduate school, you can then focus on doing what you need to do to apply and get accepted to a medical school.  Good luck.

Answer 3

Go for it!! Take classes at a community college to get started. See if the university you want to go to accepts CLEP tests. Take CLEP tests to test out of college classes. This will help you go faster. Look on collegeboard.com.

Warm Regards,

Jana

http://www.summerhouseliving.com

http://www.purehomeschooling.com

Answer 4

I've known a number of people who were in medical school (and are now doctors).  And you can do it if you are determined enough and are willing to work hard for long hours.  Some people have started medical school much later in life and done well, so your age isn't necessarily against you.

How to get into college depends on the college you are interested in.  A lot of homeschoolers will start with taking some courses at a community college while still officially in high school.  It is usually much easier to get into a community college.  If you get a 2-yr degree at a community college, you can then apply to a 4-yr. school as a transfer student.  This way, the 4-yr. school will focus on your previous college history rather than your high school history--this might make getting into a 4-yr. college much easier for you.  (You'll still need to investigate particular colleges to find out about their particular requirements for admission.  Some will require the SAT or ACT exam, but some don't require any entrance exams.  Most will give you some sort of in-house placement exams to see if you need remedial work or which level of courses would be most appropriate for you.  The requirements are often easier if you transfer to a college with a couple of years of college credit and yet you'll still get that 4-yr. college's name on the final diploma.)

As for medical school, medical schools will be most interested in your college performance.  They won't really look into your high school career.  They'll want to know about college courses you took, the degree earned, college GPA, scores on the Medical school entrance exam (MCAT I think it's called), your involvement in organizations, sports or whatever in college.  A lot of people wanting to become doctors will major in something like biology, chemistry, premed, or some other science in college since you'll need to know a lot about biology and chemistry in medical school; but I've known people who majored in other subjects, non-science subjects, who got into medical school.  

Medical schools are very competitive, so you'll need to work seriously in college to have a chance of being admitted to medical school.  Doing work at a hospital or some other medical office (whether volunteer work or paid) can help a lot if you can get written recommendations from people you've worked with there.  It can also help you to learn some of the jargon and such that you'll have to learn and will help you see if you really like the life-style of doctors and maybe help you decide the type of doctor you'd like to be.

If you are serious about wanting to be a doctor, you should be working now to learn as much as you can about anatomy and physiology, Greek and Latin roots and affixes, chemistry and biology and such.  The more you learn now, the easier medical school will be.  (And it is tough.)

Answer 5

most likely you would have to take a placement test and they will tell you where you are at with your schoolong level. I know they have those test at a local community college where I live. Just check it out. I'm pretty sure you could become a doctor with your schooling history, but it's going to be very hard....

Answer 6

Well, 1st you have to get your highschool diploma.

From Ehow.com

1Complete your bachelor's degree in a science major like biology, physics, general chemistry or organic chemistry.

Step2Volunteer in a health care setting before considering a career in this field.

Step3Study for and take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

Step4Seek out funding sources to help with program costs. Costs for a typical 4-year program will range from moderate to expensive.

Step5Understand that there are additional requirements after graduation. Evaluate specialized doctoral Programs

Next..

Step1Expect to spend your first 2 years in medical school completing laboratory exercises and listening to lectures and the last 2 years performing clinical work to become a Dr in your field.

Step2Evaluate the different medical schools in the United States.

Step3Consider the benefits and limitations of hospital-affiliated schools. Some schools that aren't affiliated with particular hospitals will allow students to travel and work apart from their enrolled university during the third and fourth years. Schools with hospital placements often require students to work in particular teaching hospitals associated with the school.

Step4Ask whether there is a residency restriction when speaking to program coordinators. You may be unable to apply if you haven't met residency requirements. Inquiring ahead of time about extra out-of-state fees is advised for all applicants.

Step5Apply early. Many schools open application periods for fall entry in May.

Step6Create a back-up plan in the event that you aren't accepted to your first choice.