Medical School Reviews

THE TASK OF MAKING CAREER DECISIONS: INVESTIGATING AND REVIEWING MEDICAL SCHOOLS

One of the most prestigious and influential careers in the United States is being a medical doctor. Those who become physicians are faced with life and death decisions. They have a social status that is envied and respected by members of their own community. Medical doctors are ranked among the highest paid professions in the world but the responsibilities they face every day are enormous. They work long hours and the stress level is often times over bearing. Those individuals who follow the road to becoming a doctor of medicine face many hurdles on their journey. If you decide to pursue medical school you will want to investigate and review many medical schools before you reach a decision on which school to attend.

One of those early hurdles is the cost of medical school. Most medical students will find themselves in debt by the time they graduate. The fact is that at the end of four years of medical schools the average medical student has piled up over $100,000 of debt! These are student loans that will have to be paid. The cost of tuition for medical school can range from $14,000 a year to over $50,000 a year depending on whether you attend a public medical school or a private medical school. Of course tuition costs do not cover living expenses, books, insurance, medical school equipment, and daily survival costs. Financing your medical school expenses will be a huge undertaking.

Another hurdle that you will face is the qualifications for medical school. All schools are different, but there are a few basic elements that you will need to be considered for medical school. Medical students are often expected to have an earned B.S. degree in some academic field. You will have to have English, Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology coursework. Most medical schools also require lab work for these courses. Letters of recommendation will be important to the application process. You also will be required to write a personal essay explaining your philosophy of wanting to become a doctor.

A third hurdle will be deciding where to go to medical school. You may be asking yourself, "What are the top medical schools in the United States?" Do I have the qualifications to be accepted? Should I think about attending a Caribbean medical school where my chances of acceptance might be greater? Do I need to think about a medical school offer with a distance education option as an alternative? Does anyone with a 2.00 G.P.A. get accepted into medical school? Are there other opportunities in the health care industry that I might investigate like medical billing and coding? These are questions that you will want to think about before you make any decisions for your career.

As an individual who is looking for options you should do some careful planning and researching. You need to do a "self-analysis" of your strengths, weaknesses, and your mission in life. These will serve as guidelines to help you chart your path to a lifelong career.