<p>I want to be a Forensic Psychiatrist. In order to become I have to go through pre-med, medical school & residency, the get a specialty in psychiatry and then 2 years in the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship. So what would be a good school for all of this? thanks!!</p>
<p>First you need to take this one step at a time - it’s possible, but highly unlikely you’ll complete all your education and training at one institution. Start looking for undergraduate schools.</p>
<p>In general, the name/prestige does not matter. You can be a pre-med anywhere and get into medical school. Going to a “name” school is not going to guarantee you anything. This is not to say that there aren’t schools out there that are better for pre-meds than others, just that the typical ways in which you might think a school is better (ie whatever you think of when discussing why Ohio State isn’t as good as Northwestern) aren’t that important. What are important are a bunch of things which are very hard to quantify and compare in any reasonable fashion - access to professors, opportunities for research and campus involvement, openings for volunteering both in the community and at hospitals, the type of interview preparation provided by the school, etc.</p>
<p>Never make decisions base on how you think it will help you get into medical school. Whether major, minor, undergraduate institution, or even which campus organizations to join. Pick these things based on your interest, passion, and in the case of school - fit. Look for the school where you have the best chance of being successful in all aspects of college life - academically, socially, physically, emotionally, etc. The place where you’ll be the happiest should be where you end up (realize that cost is a part of this equation though - if you’re at some place where you’re always nervous about how much you or your parents are paying, that may interfere with the fit). Part of this is because you’ll be more successful if you are happy, and part of this is because the attrition rate for medical school is so high - if for some reason you decide to change your major, you need to be at a school where you’ll still be successful.</p>
<p>As for major, you can major in anything, so pick something you are passionate about. The easy choice for you appears to be Psychology, but keep your options open.</p>
<p>As for medical school, worry first about doing all you need to do just to get in somewhere. Most US medical students get into the specialty they desire so long as they aren’t only applying for the super competitive ones like Derm, Ophthalmology, Radiology, or Orthopedic surgery. </p>
<p>One important point I’d like to make is that you should keep your options open about your future specialty in medicine. It’s great that you have an idea, but there are so many options available that there might be something you enjoy more. Most medical students come in thinking one thing, and quickly are awash in so many options that they have no idea where they might end up until they’ve actually gotten through their third year clinical clerkships. They might start getting an inkling during the second year but it tends to be very general ideas - “I want to work with kids” “I want to do procedures” “I don’t like patients” etc…so just keep an open mind. You don’t actually have to make a final decision on specialty pathway until february of your 4th year of medical school. That means if you are a currently a HS Junior, you’re almost a decade away (at the bare minimum) before having to make that decision - during which a lot can change.</p>