How to become a doctorAnswered
i don't have biology in my high school. i want to become a doctor, what courses should i take in my undergrad? and what after undergrad.
(The word count was too long so I'll continue my answer here): Most medical schools require One year of Biology with lab, One year of General Chemistry with lab, One year of Organic Chemistry with lab, One semester of Biochemistry, One year of Physics with lab and One year of English. This is a good website that shows further information: http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/four-year-plan-medical-school.
After undergrad, if you want to become a doctor, I would recommend going to medical school. However, there are still many other alternative options. For example, if you are interested in the social determinants of health in the wider community, you could get a Master's in Public Health (MPH) and even work on a global level.
Additionally, if you are more interested in the science part of medicine, you could also become an epidemiologist or biostatistician if you are interested in data and numbers. You could also work in drug discovery and become a pharmacologist. Health and medicine is a developing and fascinating field and there are endless options. Good luck. If you have any other questions, feel free to send them here.
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2 answers
Hi there,
If your school doesn't have biology or another specific STEM course, I'd recommend looking for online certification programs or self-studying for AP exams to show strength in this area. You can also dual enroll at a community college and take biology during the summer or concurrently during the school year.
As for a course list, we did a livestream on this topic regarding AP courses - you can review the recording here: https://www.collegevine.com/livestreams/3970/choosing-ap-classes-pre-med-edition
For a thorough resource around preparing to apply to medical school in high school, check out this resource: https://blog.collegevine.com/path-to-becoming-a-doctor-steps-to-take-from-high-school/
Hope this helps!
Look online for courses on biology that you can take. If you are tracking towards a medical degree, taking at least one HS biology course is a must. Additionally, consider taking courses at a community college near you. Dual enrollment is a much cheaper alternative to a traditional college. If you get an associate's degree at a community college, then not only will you graduate with your master's degree sooner, you will also have more college experience when you apply to your university of choice. Good luck, hope this helps!
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Hello, since your school doesn't have biology, I would recommend doing online courses (such as MOOCs) to further your skills and gain knowledge in the field of biology. EdX has really good courses but most cost money to have access to assessments and gain certificates (usually around ~100 USD if we're talking about introductory courses). If you're not able to do that, you can still use other sources, such as YouTube.