How Can I Help My Teen Prepare for a Medical Career?

My teen daughter hopes to become a doctor and wants to know if there's anything she can do now to start preparing.
- Vanessa

At this point, your daughter's focus should be on learning how to study and getting good grades. There are many biology books she can read, but a good doctor should know about a lot of things in general, so her reading shouldn't be limited just to science.

She also can think about volunteering or observing in a health care setting, such as a hospital or doctor's office. Some medical schools even have summer programs for high school students to give them a taste of what it's like to go to med school. And some hospitals have internships and programs geared toward high school students who are interested in careers in medicine.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: July 2013

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