High school students should take AP science classes, volunteer at healthcare facilities, and get high SAT scores to prepare for medical school. In college, students must take prerequisite science classes, maintain a high GPA, double major in biology and chemistry, volunteer or work in healthcare, and score well on the MCAT to gain admission to medical school and ultimately become a doctor.

1. DNHS Future Doctors of America Club
September 2013
Special Guest Speaker ~ Romeo C. Ignacio Jr., M.D.
Naval Medical Center San Diego - Balboa
Pediatric Surgery

2. High
School

3.  Why is it important to start early if you want to become a doctor? First of
all, you will need to take the necessary steps in high school to attend a
college that will prepare you for medical school. Remember that virtually all
colleges offer the science classes needed to get into medical school.
 But, to get into a prestigious college with an exceptional science program,
not only will you need a high SAT score, but you must take the appropriate
classes and extracurricular activities to show your desired college that you
are developing a passion in a subject you wish to pursue as a career; in this
case, Medicine. These competitive colleges see applications of
accomplished students on a daily basis; show them something that will put
you in the right pile of applications.

4.  These classes include AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Principles of
Biomedical Science, and Human Body Systems. These are good classes to
take, but make sure you have available trimesters for enrollment in these
classes.
 Taking many AP classes in high school is beneficial in the long run because it
frees up space in undergraduate school, giving you time to potentially
double major in areas such as Biology and Chemistry, which are two majors
that Medical schools will be impressed to see that you have completed
together. Also, taking Medical oriented classes, such as Principles of
Biomedical Science and Human Body Systems (as long as you have the
space) will show colleges that you are developing a passion.

5.  Consider volunteering or starting an internship at a local hospital, nursing
home or other healthcare establishment. Competitive colleges will see this
as how you pursue your passion and medical schools will look at this for
proof of your exposure to medical settings and commitment to serving
others.
 Most of you are familiar with the contents of the SAT, but let’s go over it
one more time, because it will be a crucial part of your road to medical
school. This test includes three sections: Writing, Critical Reading, and
Math. This is a timed test, meaning that you will be given a certain amount
of time to complete each section. Each section will be worth 800 points,
which totals 2400 points. This test is a crucial factor in determining what
colleges will accept you, so it will also play a role in determining which
medical school you will study at.

6.  In addition to taking the SAT, it will be beneficial to take the SAT II, also
known as the SAT Subject Tests. In the SAT II, you take tests in subjects
of your choice to show colleges that you have mastery in more subjects
than what the regular SAT covers (Writing, Critical Reading, and Math).
You can take as many SAT Subject Tests as you want (3 per testing day)
but it is difficult to take more than three both because of long gaps
between testing dates and your stamina; you don’t want to overwhelm
yourself.
 College-bound students use the SAT II to take tests in subjects that they
would like to pursue as a career later on. Most students who plan on
eventually attending medical school take 2-3 SAT Subject Tests.
Although many schools, including the UC System schools and Stanford,
do not require that you even take the SAT II, most recommend that you
take at least two. So, most aspiring medical students take a Chemistry
and Biology Subject test with one extra subject of their choosing.

7. High
School College
What do we do here?
•Take both the SAT and SAT Subject
Tests (Biology, Chemistry, + an extra
subject) and score high on both tests.
•Earn a high GPA, take many
appropriate AP classes, including
several that show our developing
passion. Taking many AP’s will give us
room to double major in college.
•Volunteer or intern at local hospitals,
healthcare facilities, etc.

8.  Now, in college (undergrad school), it is extremely important to take the
right classes needed for entry into medical school.
 All medical schools require that you take certain undergraduate classes:
 1 year of Biology
 1 year of Inorganic Chemistry
 1 year of Organic Chemistry
 1 year of Physics
 1 year of Math (Calculus and Statistics)
 1 year of English

9.  In addition to taking those pre-requisite classes, medical schools will also require
that you major in subjects related to the medical field. In most cases, students
hoping to get into medical school double major in Biology and Chemistry, while
others major in Bioengineering or Biomedical Sciences instead of Chemistry.
Majoring in Science/Medical subjects will get you a Bachelor of Sciences degree
in that specific subject needed for entry into medical school.
 In addition to many other factors, a key component of your admission to medical
school is your academic GPA. Most medical schools like to see that you have
maintained a strong GPA throughout college, preferably 3.5 or above.
 Medical schools will want to see that you have been exposed to the field:
 Continue to work in a hospital or other healthcare center.
 Consider shadowing or researching with a doctor to gain some real exposure to
the medical field.

10.  Towards the end of college, in your junior year, it will be time to take the
MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). This test is like the SAT for
medical schools, and you can take the MCAT up to three times in one year.
This test, like the SAT, requires lots of studying, and it is helpful to review
your tests and material from the Science/Medical college courses you
have already taken. The competitive score for the MCAT is above 30.
 The total score is out of 45:
 Physical Sciences: 15
 Verbal Reasoning: 15
 Biological Sciences: 15

11.  This test will dictate what type of a medical degree you can pursue in
medical school. This, in turn, will also dictate what type of medical field
you may go in.
 If you get a 3.5 GPA in college and a strong (30+) score on the MCAT,
you will be able to go to a medical school with the appropriate courses
to earn an Allopathic degree, also known as the M.D. (Doctor of
Medicine) degree. This degree will allow you to pursue any field in
medicine. This is the most common type of medical degree.
 If you get a 3.0-3.4 GPA in college and a good (25-29) score on the
MCAT, you will be able to attend a medical school with the appropriate
courses to earn an Osteopathic degree, also known as the D.O. (Doctor
of Osteopathic Medicine) degree. This degree will allow you to pursue
any field, but most of these Osteopathic schools are located on the East
coast. There are barely any Osteopathic schools on the West coast.

12.  If you get a 2.7 GPA or below in college and an average (21-24) score on
the MCAT, you will be able to go to a medical with the appropriate
courses to earn a Podiatry degree, also known as the D.P.M (Doctor of
Podiatric Medicine) degree. Unlike the M.D. and D.O. degrees, this
degree will not allow you to pursue any field in Medicine but Podiatric
fields, such as Podiatric surgery (foot surgery).
 After you’ve taken the MCAT and are at the end of your senior year of
college, all you have to do is put together a good application (including
test scores, extracurricular activities, application essay) to the medical
school(s) of your choice. With hard work, good test scores/GPA, and the
appropriate college majors, you should be on your way to beginning your
first year of Medical school!

13. High
School College
What do we do here?
•Take both the SAT and SAT Subject
Tests (Biology, Chemistry, + an extra
subject) and score high on both tests.
•Earn a high GPA, take many
appropriate AP classes, including
several that show our developing
passion. Taking many AP’s will give us
room to double major in college.
•Volunteer or intern at local hospitals,
healthcare facilities, etc.
What do we do here?
•Take the appropriate undergraduate
classes for entry into medical school.
• Major in one or preferably two
(Double major) relevant subjects for
entry into medical school (Biology and
Chemistry/Bioengineering/Biomedical
Sciences). Also, earn a high GPA.
•Continue to be a volunteer/intern at a
local hospital or other healthcare
facility.
•Score a 30 or better on the MCAT.

14. Dr. Romeo C. Ignacio, M.D.
Pediatric Surgery
Naval Medical Center San Diego - Balboa

15. Medical School:
What Happens Here?
Coming October 2013