Ricardo Said:

Emergency medical physician?

We Answered:

medicine/nursing is a great career choice. need more specifics about your situation to be able to answer your question.

"medical skills class at school" - this is a cpr/first aid? first responder? EMT class?

pediatric emergency medicine is a very specific choice for a high school senior--most medical students change their mind on specialty like 50 times. how did you decide on physican/nurse? (as opposed to physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, speech therapy, physicans assistant, etc?)

community college is good, but you'll need to go/transfer to 4 year college and get bachelors degree. your numbers are a bit lower than the average; you'll have to work hard the next 1-2 years to get into a good 4 year college/university. Start looking at colleges that will take your transfer credits.

Most medical schools require something like 3 semesters bio; 2 semesters each general chem, organic chem, physics, english; 1 semester calculus. the specifics depend on the school. you'll also need GPA around 3.5 and MCAT score around 30, and health care (volunteer, work, shadowing) experience. Leadership/community service/research experience is also good.

I dont know as much about the nursing side. nursing schools are usually affiliated with college/university (BSN) or community college/large teaching hospital (RN/LPN). does your community college have a nursing school?

Cecil Said:

Impact on your credit score when you pay off debt?

We Answered:

Ask lenders for agreement to delete this items from your credit report when paying them. I recommend to get such agreement thru credit repair agency, for example this one - credit-report-free.totalh.com

Bobby Said:

Realistic college major/degree?

We Answered:

I would just like to say that you are more prepared as a freshman than I may be as a senior. You should definitely stick with what you have, but remember to do things you are interested in which may involve some changes. Criminal justice and law as well as forensic science are good if you are interested in them. They work out well too. As you go on through high school you should have a stronger sense of what interests you, and this can also help you decide. By then, you may even have your mind set on a single major. Keep your options open, but remember, you can do a double major, but it's not like you can change it after you graduate from college.

Judith Said:

can a DO (doctor of osteopathy) work at allopathic hospital ? medical school mcat admission?

We Answered:

"I want to be an emergency room doctor but will only be able to get into a DO school"

- have you already been accepted to a DO school?

I'm guessing you haven't and i can see that you don't actually want to be an osteopathic physician. if you do not want to be an osteopath, DO NOT go to a DO school. there are plenty of ways to become an MD. If you think you are competitive at a DO school then you are competitive at most MD state schools. if you live in a very competitive state - like CA or NY - then you'll have a tougher time getting into an MD. Are you a minority? If you're a minority, then you can apply to traditionally black medical schools. if you think you're competitive at DO schools then you will surely be competitive at traditionally black colleges. If the US MD route doesn't work out, you can apply to Caribbean MD schools. My advice to you is simple: i can tell that you're not a medical student and since you're clearly tepid about DO schools, don't go to them. you seem to believe that you WILL get into a DO school. i wouldn't count on it. they sniff out tepid like a police dog. trust me. and they accept less students of those that apply than MD schools (i.e. about 1/2 of the students that apply to MD schools get in; it's less than 1/3 for DO schools). you're most likely competitive at your state MD schools and definitely so at a Caribb school. so go that route. if you do that, you won't have to worry about those two questions. And once you're actually in med school (MD or DO) you won't give them any thought cause you'll be to busy studying. trust me.

Jessie Said:

MDs make there $ based on many shifts worked?

We Answered:

Believe me, the money is not worth being a general physician. You gotta be in it for the people. You can make more money being a RN, but again, it's about the people.

Angela Said:

PreMed Advice; Motivation; Physician Shadowing.?

We Answered:

You're off to a great start but you're right, be careful of burn-out...you have a long, long road ahead of you (at least 10 more years of school/training). Do you need to have the two jobs? If you don't need them both to pay for school than consider cutting down to one...yes, extra cash in your pocket makes life a little more livable, but don't forget that doing well in your classes (and staying sane) is your most important "job" and is an investment in your future career (and earnings).

Also, don't focus all of your time and energy on being the ideal applicant...it might sound a little backwards, but it will help you be a better applicant when it comes to applying. Make sure you're also involved in activities (and classes later when you have electives) that are fun and that you enjoy...they don't all have to be related to medicine, and will make you a happier and more interesting applicant in the long run (rather than a cookie-cutter premed). Having some sort of life or an activity you love will help you get through long hours of lab and problem sets. :)

In terms of shadowing, the easiest way is actually through the hospital volunteering that you're already starting. You'll meet physicians along the way who will either offer to let you shadow or agree if you ask them, and if you're polite, earnest and show interest you'll have no problem finding someone to shadow. Once you find someone to shadow and establish some sort of relationship, they can help you get in contact with colleagues in the specialties you're particularly interested in. All doctors have been in your shoes, let them know you're interested in becoming a doctor and someone will take you under your wing. Also, if your hospital has residents beware that they'll either be your best or worst resource...some will be super enthusiastic since they're closer to your position, others will be not at all interested as they're stressed and overworked. So don't be discouraged if you get a cynical, negative response from a resident....asking an attending (an established, fully-licensed doctor) might be a little more intimidating but perhaps higher-yield.

Also, personally I found volunteering to be one of the best motivations...the more patient-contact the better. It will remind you why you're slogging through chem equations and endless biology exams, and I always felt the most energized on the walk home from the hospital. :)

Andrew Said:

Should I become an EMT or continue becoming a CNA?

We Answered:

Being a CNA is not a great job, most of the time you're overworked with too many patients, and aren't treated that well in some hospitals. (Maybe it would be better in a nursing home vs hospital though).

I am a registered nurse, and if you want to be an ER physician I'd say being a EMT would be a better fit as far as experience goes....but remember there is a LONG path from being a high school student to being an ER physician. You have plenty of time to gain all the experience needed.

I was a CNA at one time. I'd pick EMT over it any day.