, ▁algebra , ▁geometry , ▁and ▁calculus . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁advis able ▁to ▁learn ▁a ▁foreign ▁language ▁( pre fer ably ▁Spanish ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ) ▁and ▁be ▁involved ▁in ▁high ▁school ▁organizations ▁and ▁ext rac urr icular ▁activities . ▁After ▁high ▁school , ▁college ▁students ▁simply ▁need ▁to ▁ful fill ▁the ▁basic ▁science ▁course ▁requirements ▁that ▁most ▁medical ▁schools ▁recommend ▁and ▁will ▁need ▁to ▁prepare ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁MC AT ▁( Med ical ▁College ▁Ad mission ▁Test ) ▁in ▁their ▁junior ▁or ▁early ▁senior ▁year ▁in ▁college . ▁Once ▁att ending ▁medical ▁school , ▁student ▁courses ▁will ▁focus ▁on ▁basic ▁medical ▁sciences ▁like ▁human ▁an atom y , ▁phys i ology , ▁chem istry , ▁etc ., ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁three ▁years , ▁the ▁second ▁year ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁when ▁medical ▁students ▁start ▁to ▁get ▁hands - on ▁experience ▁with ▁actual ▁patients . ▁ ▁Training ▁of ▁ped iat r icians ▁ ▁The ▁training ▁of ▁ped iat r icians ▁var ies ▁consider ably ▁across ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁Depending ▁on ▁juris diction ▁and ▁university , ▁a ▁medical ▁degree ▁course ▁may ▁be ▁either ▁under grad uate - entry ▁or ▁gradu ate - entry . ▁The ▁former ▁commonly ▁takes ▁five ▁or ▁six ▁years , ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁usual ▁in ▁the ▁Commonwealth . ▁En tr ants ▁to ▁gradu ate - entry ▁courses ▁( as ▁in ▁the ▁US ), ▁usually ▁last ing ▁four ▁or ▁five ▁years , ▁have ▁previously ▁completed ▁a ▁three - ▁or ▁four - year ▁university ▁degree , ▁commonly ▁but ▁by ▁no ▁means