Need everyones quick opinion...How to become a Dermatologist??

23 year old male. No credits in college yet, but want to start going asap. Interested in dermatology, but not sure how much school I would need or if I am too old already. Anyone have any idea how long it would take? The type of Dermatology I am interested in is like laser acne, tattoo and hair removal. As well as botox and those spa like activities.Need everyones quick opinion...How to become a Dermatologist??
Well, you should start getting Straight A's right off the bat because dermatology is the TOUGHEST residency program to get into. Yes, tougher than heart surgery. Why? Because the work is easy, and it pays extremely well (people are vain and they will pay top dollar to look good).





You're 23 now ... 27 when you graduate with your bachelors ... then at least 31 when you finish med school ... then 36 by the time you actually get to practice as a dermatologist. If that's okay with you, then here's how you get started:





Complete the medical pre-req courses. These include:


1 year general chemistry with lab


1 year general biology with lab


1 year organic chemistry with lab


1 year introductory physics with lab


1 year English composition


1 year calculus





I'm not sure where you will be going for college, but you will need to go somewhere good. Good schools are more likely to send you to med school than mediocre or poorer schools. Good schools prepare you better for med school; they have better career guidance resources, better instruction and so forth.





Major in whatever you want. Med schools like well-rounded students, so if you major in fluff and do really awesomely in the pre-requisites listed above, that will make you look good as a med school candidate.





Volunteer for a lot of stuff. If you just got out of the service, make sure you show it off. Med schools like veterans. Get clinical experience, too. Shadow some doctors, volunteer in a hospital, do medical missions, etc.





Score well on the MCAT so you can get into a good med school. when you are at med school, your ranking will matter. You will need to be high honors for most of what you do. Then when you take the USMLE (';the Boards';), you have to score in a high percentile. Upper 90s. That way, a dermatology residency program will pick you. If you score too low, no derm program will pick you, and you will just have to do something else.





Basically, you have to be at the top of the game the entire way through to make it in dermatology.Need everyones quick opinion...How to become a Dermatologist??
Some websites that might be helpful:





studentdoc.com


bestpremed.com


aamc.org


collegeboard.com