Change of heart, info please.

[Guest mgmmatt]

So, I was thinking, hummmnnn... 4 years in college doing something that i was not particularly interested in due to pressure to "do something" is not the way to go.

 

Doing something before you know what you want to do is very costly. I wish i could have all that money and time back...

 

Ok, so it hit me like a ton of bricks, I want to go into plastic surgery, this is something I myself would really like to do. It is time for me to start living by my terms.

 

My biggest concern is the time it would take to finish, but I am willing.

 

Could someone please give me some information on how to get started? I probably do not have any courses that could be used fo it so far and need advice.

 

ps; Canadian information please.... anything can help.

[Guest pappy mckeys]

Hi,

 

Every med school is deifferent in terms of prerequisites, etc. The individual school websites can provide all this info first hand, and the board search engine can link you to other relevant threads (of which most topics have been discussed numerous times ). The breadth of your question makes it difficult to give specific details, but I'm sure most of the answers have been posted on here at some point. Good luck!

[Guest aneliz]

First thing you will need to do is get accepted to medical school. All of the schools have different requirements and procedures, so you will have to check the individual websites of the schools that you are interested in.

 

In general, medical schools usually require:

 

1. 3-4 years of undergraduate level course work towards a degree (ie not random courses). Some schools require a completed degree +/- honours depending on the school. Some require a minimum number of full time years and/or a minimum GPA.

 

2. Completion of certain pre-req courses (usually biology, chemistry, organic or biochem, english or other arts, etc)

 

3. Most require the MCAT with certain scores in each category.

 

4. Some volunteer work, extra-curricular activities, evidence of interest/involvement outside of the classroom. Some require an essay/answers to certain written questions.

 

5. Letters of reference from profs, employers, volunteer supervisors, etc.

 

On the basis of the above, you will be granted an interview (hopefully). Around 25% of all applicants to a school are selected for an interview.

 

Of those interviewed, approximately 50% are offered a spot.

 

Once in medical school, you will follow a general curriculum that covers all aspects of medicine. This lasts 3-4 years depending on the school. In your final year, you will apply for a residency position (in plastic surgery if that is what you want to do). You prepare an application that contains your transcripts from med school, letters of reference, personal statement, etc. Hopefully you will be selected for an interview. You then rank all of the programs that you applied to in the order that you want them. The programs that interviewed you rank you among their interviewees. Come match day, you will hopefully match to a plastic surgery position. (Plastics is very competitive, with ~2-3 people competing for every spot... there is always the chance of going unmatched).

 

If you get a plastics residency spot - you will start 5 years of residency training in plastic surgery.

 

Total time from today (assuming that you are ready to apply in the next round - have written the MCAT with high enough scores, have all pre-reqs, acceptable GPA, etc and that you get into med school on your first application):

 

Apply to med school fall 2006 (next app cycle)

 

Begin med school fall 2007

 

Graduate med school spring 2011

 

Start residency summer 2011

 

Finish residency, pass royal college exam and be able to practice as a plastic surgeon - summer 2016

 

Obviously, if you have things that need to be done before you can apply (pre-reqs, MCAT, etc) that won't allow you to apply in the next cycle, things will get delayed. Or, if you don't get in the first time, same story.

 

Good luck!