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hey guys, i have sort of a general question [still in high school, though...]. but one u get into medical school, how exactly do u declare your major? what if you're unsure, can u 'shop' around? & what happens if u don'ttt get accepted at all? heh, sorry for the random questions :P
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It doesn't work that way.
From high school, you go to college. There you can major in whatever you want so long as you fulfill the necessary prerequisite courses to take the MCAT and apply to medical school.
In medical school, there are many different curriculums. Most schools will divide the training like this: preclinical courses (these are a lot like college courses) during the 1st 2 years.
Your 3rd year will be clinical rotations (you go to the hospital to work) and for the most part, everyone will rotate through similar fields: pediatrics, OBGYN, family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine, etc... etc...
From there, you get a taste of what you like, what you don't. You make a decision (often at the end of third year) and tailor a schedule around your desired choice. These audition rotations and ensuing LORs will allow you to apply for a residency in the field of your desired choice. Hopefully you match and that's that.
Can you "shop" around? Absolutely. You have three years of medical school to shadow different preceptors, to do research with different departments, etc... etc... Very few people enter medical school knowing absolutely what they want to do.
What happens if you fail to match in the residency of your dreams? You can always reapply or many students end up pursuing a residency in easier-to-attain fields. If you are an American medical graduate and are willing to go anywhere, it is NOT difficult to match into internal medicine, psychiatry, family medicine, peds, even general surgery.