What is this best advice you can give an aspiring surgeon?

Doctor's advice would be great. Things you live, ways to stay focused, ways to pay for medschool? anything you can think of...what should I get really good at now to benifit me possitively for the future.What is this best advice you can give an aspiring surgeon?
Write your goals down...and a step by step process of acheiving those goals.





Becoming a surgeon is hard work. You will need 4 years of college, 4 years of med school, and probably a 4-5 year surgical residence in a hospital.





In high school work on completing all the science courses you can. In College, work with an advisor to make sure that you get your pre-med requirements out of the way. DON'T major in premed studies...it's worthless. Major in something you enjoy studying, then support those courses with the premed requirements.





As far as prep for the future, there's not much you can do to prepare to become a surgeon...except for practice. If you can, get a hold of a dissection kit (scalpal, at least) and see if there is a place around you where you can get a pig skin or carcass...and practice like that. You will not be able to do anything on a human body until Med School, so a pig is the closest you will be able to get.





Good luck.What is this best advice you can give an aspiring surgeon?
Limit caffeine intake...


Don't smoke...


Run everyday...





Study in short intervals...


Review BF Skinner and his psych studies...(concerning methods for learning)





PS%26gt; You can get a pig carcass(for dissection) at your local Hog Farm for free. It will be a bit stinky, so bring a cooler with a bunch of ice.
Be in good health. Like the other answerers said, don't drink, don't smoke, exercise regularly, and pay attention to nutrition. You can't make it as a surgeon if you're physically frail.
Do your first 2 years in community college.


Get good grades.


Ignore guys.


Don't waste your time with TV, movies, parties.


Read great books.


Transfer to a good pre-med program.


Apply for Finacial Aid and scholarships.


Work a little on the side.


Build a respectable library.


Respect yourself (don't drink, don't eat junk,etc)


Find a mentor (someone with a PhD or Dr. to guide you)


Get involved in the right clubs on campus (pre-professionals)


Get a good advisor, write down everything he/she says.


Read.


Learn to organize and prioritize.


Focus on your specialty and start reading or seeing the ';goal';





Volunteer at a hospice, hospital or at the Red Cross.


Watch surgical procedures online (yes there are some online)


try video.google.com and type in brain surgery for example....





and again...don't get side tracked!!!!!
I'm planning to become a neurosurgeon so hopefully I can help with what information I've been given.





Staying focused? You want to do this right? It's your passion, right? Then staying focused should be easy! I love being challened academically and so this is enjoyable. If you want an easy major, do not do this! But be sure to get enough sleep, don't overload, and stay away from drugs and what not.





Ways to pay for med school? Do well as an undergrad so you can get scholarships. They have loans for med students also. A medical career will pay off (especially if you specialize) so don't worry about the cost of med school and taking out loans.





Be sure that before you enter an undergrad program that you know what med schools you want to apply to. Make a list of what courses you need in order to apply to them all! I want to go into neurosurgery so I'm looking into neuroscience as my major for undergrad. By the way, DO THIS, because I almost didn't and almost went by what JHU wanted but the state medical university required MORE than what they did. Definitely do this!





Go to a college that is a good feeder school for your med school choices also.





I'm doing my first year in community college to save money and do the basic courses like maths and english. You could do that too. But I'm starting to think that transferring is a bad idea because the acceptance rates are lower than with 1st year students. Contact the 4 year school you want to attend before doing this.
I am not sure it is the BEST advice, but it is GOOD advice, I have a friend who is a surgeon, who NEVER drinks any alcohol. He told me once that he knew when he was in high school that he wanted to be a surgeon. He noticed some older man, who was know to drink, whose hands shook. He said that as a surgeon, he wanted his hands to be steady, so he does NOT drink. We were at a birthday party once for the father of a close friend of his. The father wanted everyone to drink some champagne and my friend refused. The old man lobbied long and hard. I saved the day by exchanging my empty glass for my friends full one while the old man had his back turned. My buddy was very grateful and I had two glasses of fine wine!
Wash your hands.