Expert: JM Starkman, MD - 8/11/2009

Question
hi I'm nikki. I'm a junior in high school and I'm very interested in anesthesiology. i play volleyball and i plan on getting some kind of scholarship for it to college but I'm scared that if i go to a college that offers me a scholarship, they might not be a school that offers anesthesiology also. so i was wondering what kind of courses you need to take in the first four years of college for this profession. is it just basic stuff that i could take at pretty much any college or do i actually have to look out for what colleges are looking at me for volleyball and chose wisely? and what kind of high school courses should i really focus on? because i just took all the science and health that i could. i wasn't sure. thanks for your time.
Nikki Holmes

Answer
One's undergraduate school (college or university) need not have a medical school--you'll apply to medical school AFTER four years of college (anesthesiologists are physicians first, then specialize later). Most doctors go to different medical schools than their undergrad college.  Your goals in high school should be to develop the very best study habits possible:  homework first and timely! never settling for second place!  knowing test material well enough to teach it yourself!  when the assignment is to do all the 'odd' questions-you do them all!  OK?

All medical schools publish their prerequisites online [and in the few printed catalogs still out there].  They will expect superior grades, MCAT scores, recommendations and interview impression of you.  I think a college volleyball scholarship will look good on your application someday, but will in no way substitute for the above--only augment it.

NO ONE CARES where their doctor went to college....take the best deal volleyball/financially, but you MUST get A's.  Every college you can name with a volleyball program has more to teach you than you could possibly learn in four years.