Let's put an end to the doctor shortage:
 

Perhaps 8 years of college are too many. Let's at least shorten it to about 6.

Too many non-essential courses are required.

A doctor should not be expected to be all things to all people. So why is a doctor required to take X number of years of a foreign language?

How about courses like art appreciation and music appreciation etc. When was the last time you discussed art or music with your doctor?

Algebra? Trigonometry?

How does a doctor use algebra when diagnosing a patient? If diagnosis = y and treatment = x, outcome = Get real!!!

We end up paying for all the time and money they spend getting their education.

When kids in school said "Why to I have to take this class, I will never use anything I learn here" I remember a teacher saying "learning different things awakens different parts of your brain. Not everything you learn is practical, but it will make your brain function better"

What about their life outside the office? Shouldn't they be well-rounded? Some of those courses actually teach critical thinking skills. That's kind of important for a doctor.

if you really want to end the doctor shortage, bring down the cost of becoming a doctor. many people won't even consider it anymore because the time, effort, and cost is not worth the rewards anymore. Reimbursements to doctors are cut all the time...a lot of the doctors I know say they wouldn't do it again.

For kids, I agree. There's no need to change grammar school or high school, as far as I know. (But there's always room for improvement.)

However, I don't think anyone needs 8 years of college for the purpose of waking up their brain.

There have been some very creative and productive people in the world who never even went to college.

Yes, but they should just hurry-up and get those critical thinking skills in 6 years instead of 8.

I just looked at the syllabus for The Univ. of Florida Medical School for years 1 through 4. They do not take any of the courses you've mentioned while they are in medical school. Are you saying that they shouldn't have to take these courses in High School? If the standard dose of a drug for an adult male is 4mg/kg, then how much drug should be prescribed to a 200 pound man who has reduced kidney function? Go ahead and figure that out without using basic math skills. And, why would you deny a doctor the skills needed to not only enjoy art or music, but to understand why. I don't use my art appreciation course when I practice pharmacy, but I am grateful that I took it. Many times when people are in High School or taking undergraduate courses in College, they are not sure if they want to become doctors. That' what that period is for, to figure out who you are and what you want to do.

Two years less college would do exactly that, it would bring down the cost. Not to mention they would begin earning money two years sooner.

No "fluffy" courses at Harvard either. VPL read this;

Medical Education at Harvard

You looked at the syllabus for medical school but in my opening post I referred to "8 years". What happens in the first 4 years is what I question.

In high school they could require the same as always, as far as I'm concerned. I had art and music appreciation in high school.

I have nothing against doctors learning basic math skills. Give them whatever they need.

Those who need more time to figure out what they want to do can always take more time. But those who never doubted that they wanted to be a doctor should be able to go through in 6 years instead of 8. I had a friend in high school who said he wanted to be a doctor because his father was a doctor.

The "first" 4 years are not medical school. They are undergraduate study. Typically, after finishing 4 years of college a student may apply to a medical school. Then they go to medical school for 4 years, then have a year of internship, one or two years residency, and then take a fellowship if they so desire for about 2-3 years depending on the specialty. If you're saying we should let people apply to med school after only 2 years of university, then we would see a whole bunch of folks that don't have the building blocks needed to pass the first year of medical school. Take a look at a typical pre med curriculum. I think the problem here is that you don't have a very good idea of what a pre med and medical education entail.

That's fine but what about the first 4 years of college?

What he said.

Read my opening post again. I referred to eight years of college to emphasize the fact of how long it takes to get through school. Obviously, 8 years includes 4 years of med school and 4 years of undergraduate study. No need to make this more complicated than it needs to be.

What does a pre med curriculum consist of? Two years of a foreign language, right? Do they need that to get through the first year of medical school? And how many other non-essential courses are there?

I want to be on BarryRX's team.