How to Become a Pediatrician Galax VA

Steps

1. Concentrate on taking advanced work in whatever you are interested in and exploring different areas of study in high school.
2. Select a major you like. If you major in the liberal arts or humanities, you will need to take pre-med required courses outside your major. Examples of courses commonly required for admission to med school are calculus, organic chemistry, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, physics.
3. Choose a combined medical program after high school. If you are sure that pediatrics or, at least, medicine, is for you, this may be a good route to go. Depending on the program, you may be able to complete medical training in six or seven years instead of eight, save money on tuition, get guaranteed acceptance to a med school and/or avoid taking the MCATs. The downside to these programs is that they restrict your options in terms of what medical school you go to and if you change your mind about medicine later on, you may be in trouble.
4. Maintain good grades if you select a regular four year college and take your MCAT. In your junior year, apply to and interview at the med schools of your choice.
5. Go to medical school for four years. Take the USMLE, steps one and two.
6. Apply for internship/residency programs in pediatrics through the national matching service during your third year of medical school.
7. Complete your internship and residency. In the U.S., this takes three years: one of internship followed by two of residency.
8. Take the board exam in pediatrics.

1. Complete additional fellowship training specializing in pediatrics. Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics offers sub-specialty board examinations in: Adolescent Medicine, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Developmental Pediatrics, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Endocrinology, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Pediatric Infectious Disease, Neonatology, Pediatric Nephrology, Pediatric Pulmonology, Pediatric Rheumatology.
2. Choose to study for additional certificates or added qualifications in Medical Toxicology, Pediatric Transplant Hepatology, Sports Medicine and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, if desired.

Tips

• Although you can get into med school with a degree in whatever you like, non-science majors should be sure to excel at the science courses they DO take, and may need extra preparation before taking the MCAT, as there may be information on it that is not covered in the basic science classes that are required for pre-med students.
• Be sure to take advantage of the pre-med advising committee at your college or university. Most colleges have advisers who are well-acquainted with the process of getting into med school and will be able to help you with everything from planning your course load to getting recommendations from teachers to finding a volunteer job at a local hospital.
• Volunteer at a hospital or in a lab; this way, you can get a taste of the environment and see if it is really for you while at the same time impressing med schools with your interest in healthcare.

Warnings

• If you slip with your grades, you could be in trouble.
• Becoming a doctor of any sort is a lot of hard work and a serious responsibility about which you should think carefully before taking on.
• If you enter the field of pediatrics for the money, you will most likely be unhappy.
• At MOST colleges, Pre-Med is not a major, it is a minor. In other words, if you take courses in Pre-Med you will only receive a certificate, not a degree. Consult with an advisor at your school to see if there is a Pre-Medical Studies major.
• Stay focused and don't let anyone motivate you into the wrong direction.
• It is really good if you stay focused and on task so that you can be prepared for any other upcoming events that may involve the Tips here.

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