Minnesota's Future Doctors is a program for full time college students.

If you are in high school, take a look at the information below.

Please apply for our program during your freshman year of college.

I am in high school. How can I become a Minnesota's Future Doctor?

1.  Wait until your full freshman year of college to apply for the program. If you are a PSEO, we will only consider you if you have been in college full time for one year. Please wait until you graduate from high school to apply for Minnesota's Future Doctors. You need to be a full time college freshmen to apply.

2. Volunteer in a hospital near your home. There are many opportunities listed here on the web site. You should start volunteering - this will make you a better applicant for Minnesota's Future Doctors.

3.  Take the most advanced mathematics and science coursework that you can in high school. AP, IB, or advanced coursework is important. You must do well in these courses. Only A's and B's.

4.  Become a leader. Lead a club in high school, lead a religious youth group, lead a project that helps underserved families receive food, shelter, etc.

5.  Work for your family or get a job. Show that you have an interest in working and paying your own way to get what you want. Find a job in health care - work as a cleaner or nursing assistant for a nursing home, hospital, or anything in health care if you can.

6.  Make certain you have an excellent GPA in high school.

7.  Make certain you take the ACT or SAT. Do well. Prepare for it. Take it again if you don't like your score.

8.  Get into the best college or university that you can. Make certain it fits your personality - and make certain that it is known for having "pre meds" or med school candidates.

9.  Apply for every college scholarship that you are eligible for. Take your time to word process the applications out perfectly. You must have a trusted teacher or advisor proof read every application that you send. This is critical.

10.  Look for student awards within your high school or community that you are eligible for. If you need to be recommended for an award, ask for that recommendation. Studnets who win awards have demonstrated their potential as leaders within the community/high school.

____

Got that healing feeling? Study medicine and keep that feeling your whole life.

Think of all the doctors you have met. Probably the first hands that touched you were the confident hands of a doctor. Then there were the doctors who cared for you through those sore throats, broken bones, stomach aches, cuts, burns, and fevers. A doctor even may have saved your life or the life of someone you love.

The doctors you know seem wise, confident, and in control. But once they were just like you - high school students who are excited and wondering what the world has to offer. Since then, your doctors have traveled a long, challenging, and fulfilling road. They’ve seen and done some pretty awesome things. They’ve often had to work hard but are rarely ever bored.

Somewhere inside you there is a spark of interest in medicine or you wouldn’t have read this far. You may be wondering whether you have what it takes to become a member of one of the world’s most honored and rewarding professions. The first step to exploring whether a career in medicine is right for you is to get answers to the many questions you have.

What Is a Doctor’s Career Like?

Few fields offer a wider variety of opportunities. Most doctors' professional lives are filled with caring for people and continuously learning more about the human body. Every day in communities around the country, doctors work in neighborhood clinics, hospitals, offices, even homeless shelters and schools to care for people in need.

But physicians also do many other things. Physician researchers are at work today developing exciting new treatments for cancer, genetic disorders, and infectious diseases like AIDS. Academic physicians share their skills and wisdom by teaching medical students and residents. Others work with health maintenance organizations, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, health insurance companies, or in corporations directing health and safety programs. People with medical skills are in demand everywhere.

I’ve Heard a Lot About Primary Care Doctors Lately. What Are Their Careers Like?

About one-third of the nation’s physicians are generalists – “primary care” doctors who provide lifelong medical services for you and all the members of your family. General internists, family physicians, and general pediatricians are all considered generalist doctors. They are the first doctors you consult for medical care. And they are trained to provide the wide range of services children and adults need. When patients’ specific health needs require further treatment, generalist physicians send them to see a specialist physician.

Specialist physicians differ from generalists in that they focus on treating a particular system or part of the body. Neurologists who study the brain, cardiologists who study the heart, ophthalmologists who study the eye, and hematologists who study the blood are just a few examples of specialists. They work together with generalist physicians to ensure that patients receive treatment for specific medical problems as well as complete and comprehensive care throughout life.

Am I the Right Kind of Person for a Medical Career?

Ask yourself some questions:

Do I care deeply about other people, their problems, and their pain?

Do I enjoy helping people with my skills and knowledge?

Do I enjoy learning, gaining new understanding?

Do I often dig deeper into a subject than my teacher requires?

Do I understand the value of learning beyond just making good grades?

Am I interested in how the human body functions?

Am I intrigued by the ways medicine improve lives?

If you answered “Yes” to most of these questions, chances are you have the right kind of personality for a medical career.

What Can I Do Right Now in High School to Prepare for Medical School?

Plenty! First, review the courses you have completed or will complete during your high school years. Listed among them should be classes in math - such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and pre-calculus - and science courses such as biology, chemistry, and physics. But remember - medicine isn’t for one-track minds. You need to take math and science courses, but it is just as important to get a well-rounded education, participate in a variety of activities, and strive for excellence in everything you do. So be sure to take and do well in courses in English grammar, literature, and a foreign language.

In your junior and senior years, you may want to explore your opportunities to enroll in advanced or honors classes to strengthen your academic record further.

Keep in mind that every class you take gives you a chance to improve your study skills, your ability to communicate your thoughts and ideas, and your ability to manage your time - all of which are crucial to success in any career, including medicine. Developing these skills will help you maintain the strong academic record in high school you will need to enter the college of your choice.

The nation's workforce of health care professionals should reflect the great diversity of American culture. About 42 percent of medical students currently enrolled are women, and 59 percent are men. More than 30 percent of enrolled students are minorities. However, only some minority groups, including Asian Americans, have achieved a representation in medicine that equals their proportion in the U.S. population. Other minority groups - black Americans, Mexican Americans, mainland Puerto Ricans, and Native Americans - are still underrepresented in medicine. To increase their numbers, the Association of American Medical Colleges launched Project 3000 by 2000 in 1991, an initiative that seeks to increase the annual medical school enrollment of underrepresented minority students to 3,000 by the year 2000. This national effort reached a major milestone in 1994, with 2,014 underrepresented minority students enrolled in the nation's entering medical school class.

In addition to your schoolwork, take time to explore the worlds of health care and science. Volunteer at a hospital, nursing home or clinic; enroll in a summer science training program; compete in science fairs; join a club like the Medical Explorers; develop your skills as a teacher and tutor younger children; and keep current on new medical advances by reading your local newspaper and magazine like Science and Nature. Look for opportunities to develop your talents and demonstrate your leadership skills in areas such as music, athletics, art, and student government. Carefully choose your extracurricular activities so that you learn more about yourself and other people, particularly those from different cultures, as well as learn about medicine.

Finally, as you near your senior year, put in the time and effort to select the college that is best for you. Get to know your school's guidance counselor well. Ask your guidance counselor for information on medical careers and medical education. If your school offers a Career Day, ask your teacher or guidance counselor to invite a doctor, and then be sure to attend and ask questions.

Thoroughly investigate those colleges that interest you by reading their guidebooks, visiting their campuses, and learning about their pre-medical programs and advising offices.

How Do I Select the Right School for My Premedical Education?

Here are some questions to ask while you consider a college or university. Your career guidance counselor or science teacher can help you find the answers. You also should consult the many college guidebooks found in your school's guidance office, local libraries, and bookstores.

Does the school have a good faculty and a reputation for high academic standards? Is it accredited?

Does it offer a broad range of courses in the humanities and in the social, behavioral, and natural sciences?

Does it have strong science departments with good laboratory facilities?

Does it offer all of the required courses I need for acceptance to medical school?

Does the college have a designated advisor specifically trained to help students interested in the health professions?

Does it have a good track record for having its students accepted to medical school?

Does it offer extracurricular activities that appeal to me? Are there programs to do volunteer work at local hospitals or clinics?

Are there programs where I can demonstrate leadership and compassion?

Does it “feel right” for me? Am I comfortable with its size, location, social life, and general atmosphere?

Is it affordable for me and my family?

As you select a college remember that just as in high school, a good liberal arts education is a key ingredient to becoming a physician. You'll need a strong foundation in mathematics and the sciences that relate most to medicine: biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. But it's important for your college experience to be broad. Taking courses in the humanities or liberal arts will help you prepare for the “people” side of medicine.

When Should I Be Ready to Apply to Medical School?

Most people, about 90 percent, apply to medical school at the end of their junior year in college and begin their medical studies after graduation. Others finish college and work for several years before beginning their medical education. Still others participate in “early admissions” or other collaborative programs between undergraduate colleges and medical schools, through which students with a demonstrated level of maturity and academic achievement can proceed to medical education at an accelerated pace.

How Do I Apply for Medical School, and What Will the Schools Look for in My Applications?

Your college or university's premedical advisor can help you through the application process. Medical schools will evaluate you on your college grades, extracurricular activities, and personal characteristics. Most also require you to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), which analyzes your knowledge of the basic sciences, your reading and writing abilities, and your problem-solving skills.

Is Getting into Medical School as Tough as They Say?

No question about it - medical schools are looking for the finest minds and the most motivated students who have a strong and demonstrated interest in working with people. It takes a special type of person to even dream of a career in medicine and it takes hard work and commitment to make it to medical school. Today, only about one-third of those who apply are accepted.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Medical Education?

Most would say a lifetime. Doctors are always learning as new discoveries are made and new technologies develop. However, it usually takes four years after college to obtain the M.D. degree. After that, you will choose a medical specialty and spend three years or more as a resident physician in a teaching hospital where you train for certification in a specialty and are paid, usually about $30,000 a year, to care for patients.

What Is Medical School Really Like?

One of the important truths is “things that come easily usually aren't worth much.” Medical school is challenging. If you want to take responsibility for people's health and well-being, you’ve got to be serious about learning. Once you've been accepted, the medical school faculty and staff will do everything they can to help you succeed. In fact, more than 97 percent of entering medical students obtain their M.D. degrees.

The curriculum at many medical schools has changed in recent years. However, here's a general, quick look at what you can expect during four years of medical school.

During the first two years you will study the basic sciences - anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, pathology, and pharmacology - as well as behavioral sciences. You’ll also begin learning the fundamental techniques of taking a medical history and examining patients.

Next, you’ll go into the hospital and various clinics to observe and work with experienced doctors and begin to learn how to take care of patients. At this time you’ll begin to explore the wide variety of career paths within medicine, such as family practice, internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics.

Your final years are spent continuing your contact with patients and doctors in a clinical setting while taking elective courses.

After medical school you will spend three to seven years in a residency, where you will gain further experience and training in the specialty you have chosen. You already may have an idea of which specialties interest you; however, it’s good to keep an open mind until your third year of medical school.

I’m Interested! How Can I Get More Information About Medical Careers and Schools?

If you want more information about colleges, medical schools, and careers, contact your high school guidance counselor or science teachers. Some schools hold “college fairs,” where you can meet representatives from a number of colleges. Also, consult the many useful books at your school, local library, and bookstores.