What should I start doing to secure a future in dermatology?Answered
I’m currently in 8th grade, and I am in Honors Algebra 1 (the only honors class offered in 8th grade at my school)
I plan on taking Honors Bio and Honors Geometry next year, (not English because I am honestly not very good at it and I want to focus on bio and math) but I’m curious if there’s any steps I can take now to help me with high school and finding a good college for dermatology.
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3 answers
Hey there @everleighwhite!
Since you're only in middle school right now, the best thing you can do is focus on building good study habits, improving your time management skills, and starting to look for some extracurricular activities that you can begin now or start next year. Try to look for volunteer or internship opportunities over the summer related to your interests. It's great that you already have an idea of what you want to study, but keep in mind that a lot can change in your high school years, so it's a great idea to work hard in all of your classes and have a balanced course load. You can possibly get ahead on some geometry and biology concepts over the summer so you have the ability to excel in your freshman year classes, but the best thing you can do right now is just to enjoy the rest of middle school.
Good luck!
While I, unfortunately, can not help with your question about the university, I can help with your question about classes you should take during your high school career. While you definitely have the right idea about prioritizing STEM-focused classes, you should also look to see if your school offers any health science classes, as they could give you an edge when you apply to colleges.
Hey,
I am a freshman in high school, so I am not too much more experienced than you, but I have some reccomendations:
1. OVERRIDE TO HONORS LA.
I had this same problem at the start of the year. English was one of my worse subjects, so I did not think that I would be capable of taking honors. However, one of my friends who is a senior told me to override to honors in the start of the year, so that's what I did. Around 2 weeks into the beginning of high school, I talked to my guidance counselor and she switched me to honors. Honestly, honors LA does not have that much of a difficulty increase than the grade level course I was taking. I also had to make up two weeks worth of work in maybe 3 or 4 days, and even that was not terribly difficult. However, since it was an honors class, it will look much better on college applications. Just do your homework in that class and you'll be fine. The only time you should not override is when a upperclassmen specifically tells you that LA is a difficult course in your district. However, in my district at least, math and science are generally the two hardest honors classes, then SS, then LA. Also, override to SS honors. Taking all honors is a good idea, especially freshman year when the workload is not very high.
2. See if your school offers summer courses.
I took geometry in 8th grade, so I can take algebra 2, precalc, and calc a year early, and maybe take linear algebra or multivariable calculus during my senior year. However, since you are taking algebra 1 now, you will not have that extra year to take another math course. So, I would recommend that you check to see if there are any summer courses that your school offers. If there isn't, its not that big of a deal, but my school offers geometry in the summer, so it is possible that other schools do too.
3. Sports
If you play sports, great. If not, you should probably start. Luckily, freshman teams are generally not very competitive, so unless you are in a private school with many good athletes, you should get into the freshman team. You can choose whatever sport you like, and try and fill two out of your three seasons with sports.
4.
Also, make a map of all of your courses that you'll take freshman through senior year. This can help. Count the number of honors and ap classes you are projected to take. This can help you decide whether to take more or less aps and stuff.
I don't know about universities that you would prefer. If you could specify a region, that would help.
Good luck!
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You can look into summer programs or online programs offered on local levels and by large universities. You can always do some research, which can help find good study habits that you will need. But do try to improve in classes like English because med schools are highly competitive so being well-rounded is super important. So trying to volunteer in a hospital or shadowing a doctor is beneficial. But mainly just setting a foundation for high school is important.