Thinking about a career in medicine? How about dentistry, optometry, or veterinary medicine? These professional schools each entail four years of education beyond your undergraduate degree. It may seem a long way off, but there are things you can do in high school to prepare for that eventual journey.
Challenge yourself during high school so you can be prepared for the rigors of college and professional school. Take AP, Honors, and/or IB courses to build core competencies in reading. writing, communication, and complex math/science curriculum.
If you are planning on becoming pre-med or pre-health in college, it is strongly encouraged that you take all pre-requisite coursework for your professional school at a four year institution. So that might mean it would be better to take an AP history or calculus course for college credit rather than take an AP biology course you will re-take in college.
Choosing to go to medical school or a health professional school is a huge decision that requires a lot of time and money. Start early with your exposure to the career by taking advantage of shadowing/volunteering/internships at your high school to see what the career is really like and if it fits your interests. Some long-term internships (1+ years) from high school can even be used for your medical school application.
Join organizations within your high school to start your leadership development and community service efforts. This will assist you in your applications to college, and also help to give you a foundation for joining clubs and organizations once you get to UofSC.
Meet with us! When you schedule a tour with the UofSC Visitor Center, ask to meet with the Office of Pre-Professional and Graduate Advising and we can talk to you about your specific path and what is offered by our office to help you get there.