Question: I’m in high school and considering a career in medicine. I didn’t get the best grades my freshman year. Will that be a problem to get into medical school?
Also, I’m wondering if I have to go to college before I got to medical school or if I can just start medical school after high school.
Thanks!
Answer: Good question. It’s good to start considering a career in medicine early!
As far as whether a year of bad grades in high school will affect your competitiveness to medical school, it will not. Medical schools don’t look at high school transcripts.
Also, you will need to get a Bachelor’s degree first in order to attend medical school in the United States. There are some Caribbean medical schools that do not require a bachelor’s degree, but all medical schools require some college. There are required premedical courses that you need to take, which you can find by clicking the “get accepted” link, then “medical school requirements” on that page.
Medical schools look at certain categories to accept a student. These include academic performance (MCAT and college GPA), community service, and research among others. If you’re already interested in a career in medicine, you have plenty of time to make yourself a strong applicant in each category. Check out the categories on my “Get Accepted” page and in my eBook! Good luck!