What Classes Should I Take in High School to Become a Surgeon?

We love students who know what they want to do early. It takes a lot of steps to become a surgeon. Medical school is the largest part, and while that won’t be for several years (usually, we assume you aren’t a Doogie Houser or anything), there are steps you can take now to help you on your journey. Med school is competitive and going to a great school as an undergrad can help you get into the program of your dreams. TL;DR: Taking the right classes in high school can help you get into college which will help you get into med school. Colleges are looking for applicants who have good background knowledge and skills in their hopeful field. Let’s break down what classes are great choices to take for hopeful surgeons.

Load Up on Science

You should take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics at a high level if your school offers them. Most will have AP, IB, and/or honors options for these classes. Surgeons are on a pre-med track. While most colleges don’t have a specific pre-med major, pre-meds usually major in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, etc. Showing proficiency in higher-level science will help you get into college in a related field.

Math Too

You should also try to take a high-level math course or two. We suggest taking calculus at a high level. This is usually IB, AP, or BC. If your school doesn’t offer Calc, this is such an important class, that you should look into signing up for it at a local community college. Yes, we recommend it that hard. AP stat is another great course if you are adding more math to your schedule.  

Science Again

If your school offers science electives, they are also great classes to take. While not every school has classes like Physiology, Anatomy, Psychology, Early Childhood Development, Nutrition, and/or Kinesiology, if yours does, it is a great addition to a pre-med transcript.

APs, APs, APs

Honestly in general loading up on APs is not a bad call. We know what you are thinking, “how will AP English help me get into med school?” TBH Pre-meds are usually highly competitive candidates. Future doctors across the board tend to be at least a little type A. Maybe understanding Faulkner won’t help you perform surgery, but pushing yourself academically will help you get into the type of program that will.

Ok, so the next couple of ones aren’t academic high school classes but keep with us. We promise they are helpful too.

Get some (appropriate) medical training

We aren’t suggesting you start cutting into people (don’t do that), however, getting certified in something like CPR is a great intro to the medical field. This isn’t really a high school class, but there are several medical training classes that teens can sign up for. CPR is the most popular. Many high schools offer CPR certification classes, but if yours doesn’t, try a local community center, YMCA, mutual aid group, or even girl scout troupe. Mutual aid groups usually pair CPR with other programs like Narcan training and sexual health courses. These types of emergency response and health certifications are a great introduction to medicine and especially emergency medicine.

Get some good extracurriculars

Try joining a STEM or medical-based club. Some ones we love include HOSA (Future Health Professionals association), Science Olympiad, Doctors Without Borders, etc. Many high schoolers also volunteer in medical-related places like clinics or old folks' homes. You can also look into internships in the medical field for high schoolers. The National Institute of Health and the National Cancer Institute for example have internships for high schoolers. We also love research. Sometimes you can do research through a volunteer program or internship, however, you can also do research through a lab, with a college, through a program, or even on your own. 

Build some fine motor skills

While it might be far off, surgeons use their hands a lot. Having good fine motor skills will help you down the line and the earlier you start the better you will be. Many of the pursuits that help you build these skills are also great hobbies for high schoolers. These include drawing, painting, woodworking, or playing an instrument. Even some sports can help build these skills. If you are looking for activities to fill your activities section or elective classes, consider ones that help with fine motor skills.

Take a class outside of school

There are many ways to learn more outside of your high school, but two popular options are doing a summer program for high school students at a college or taking online classes.

For summer programs, don’t worry about finding one that is a “pre-surgery” instead search for STEM-based programs. Ones that mention research and/or biology are probably especially valuable. Many colleges and universities offer these programs so do a little research and find a program that is interesting to you.

We love summer programs but they can be expensive and usually they only happen on exact dates. This can make them inaccessible for some students. However, we suggest online classes to all of our students. They are flexible when it comes to time and usually free or affordable. There are a lot out there, but some that we love for hopeful surgeons include:

Becoming a surgeon is a long process, but starting early will help you get into this competitive field. Before med school there is college and getting into the right program is important. If you need more help finding the right program for you, college planning, or applying, we have you covered.

 

Reach out here.