医学专业一向都非常受中国学生欢迎。对立志在北美地区当医生的学生而言，必须多掌握一些当地医学教育体制上的细节事项。在美国和加拿大，医学博士学位(M.D.)属于专业博士学位，由医学院颁发给已拥有学士学位的毕业生。换句话说，在进入北美的医学院时，学生应该具备至少本科学历。而且，希望就读医学专业的学生都要参加由北美医学院联盟举办的医学院入学考试（MCAT）。

第一届北美地区的医学博士学位課程，于1767年由英皇学院所创办，即哥伦比亚大学内外科医学院的前身。在此之前，北美医学院沿用了英国的医学教育体制，颁发医学士学位(B.S.)或同等资质学位给医学专业的本科生。今时今日，医科生需要通过4年的学习来获取医学博士学位。在毕业之前，医科生须通过美国医师执照考试（USMLE）第一部分和第二部分的选试科目，以获得在美国从医的资格。在拿到医学博士学位之后，医师们将进入住院医生实习期，实习期的长度主要由不同的医科领域决定。例如，家庭医生或内科医生通常是3年的实习期，而外科医生则至少需要实习5年。在实习期间，医师们应通过医师执照考试的第三部分，以获得当地州政府医委会的认可。医委会认可的医生可以申请研究员职位，以争取进一步深造医术的机会，并可以发展分支学科研究，如神经外科。

与其他博士学位（如Ph.D哲学博士）不同，医学博士并不需要大量的研究性能力训练。不过，想要从事研究领域的医学生可以选择医学博士和哲学博士的双学位课程。部分院校还提供其他的高等学位组合，如医学博士与法学博士、医学博士与牙医学博士、以及医学博士和工商管理硕士。

To many Chinese students, medicine has always been a popular field of professional study.  Those who aspire to become physicians in North America should pay more attention to the fine details of the medical education systems in the region.  In the United States and Canada, Doctor of Medicine (M.D. or Medicinae Doctor in Latin) is a professional doctorate degree granted by medical schools to individuals already having Bachelor degrees.  In other words, one should have at least a Bachelor degree by the time one enters medical school in North America.  Prospective medical students should take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), a standardized test administrated by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

In 1767 Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, formerly known as King’s College, offered the first M.D. program in North America.  Before that, North American medical schools followed the British medical education system in which Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.) degree, or its equivalents, was awarded to medical undergraduates. Today, M.D. degrees are expected to be earned in 4 years.  Prior to graduation, M.D. candidates expecting to practice medicine in the U.S. should take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and selected parts of USMLE Step 2.  Upon obtaining M.D. degrees, physicians would begin their post-graduate year training in the form of residency.  The length of residency depends largely on the field a physician chooses.  For example, training in family medicine or internal medicine takes three years whereas a general surgery residency requires a minimum of five years.  Residents should pass Step 3 of USMLE in order to receive accredited status by their state’s medical boards.  Board-certified physicians may choose to apply for a fellowship in order to obtain further specialized training and pursue research opportunity in a sub-specialty such as neurosurgery.

Unlike research doctorate degree (i.e., Ph.D), M.D. degree candidates are generally not required to undergo any extensive research training similar to their Ph.D counterparts.  Still, medical students who desire to embark on a research career have the options to enrol in M.D./Ph.D dual degrees programs.  Other combinations of higher degrees are also possible in selected institutions: M.D./J.D (Law Degree or Juris Doctor in Latin), M.D./D.M.D (Doctor of Dental Medicine), or M.D./M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration).

很多学校都给学生提供选修课以满足他们特定的兴趣爱好和未来的职业目标。考虑进入大学或职业学院的学生们应当对其选择何种类型的课程仔细斟酌。如果学生的心目中有一所特定的大学或者学院，首先应该看看他们的入学要求。许多高等教育机构更倾向于特定类型或有一定教育水平的学生。以下是针对如何选择选修课的建议：

一般教育
一些高中会有非常明确的要求，规定学生必须修满一定数目的数学，历史和科学课程才可以毕业。但是其他的一些高中也会有特别的要求。据大学委员会(www.collegeboard.com)专业人士的信息，学生至少应该在每一个学期或季度修满5门核心课程。以下是他们推荐的课程:
英语: 文学、写作/作文和演讲
数学: 代数I/II、几何、三角学/初级微积分和微积分
科学: 生物学、化学、物理学、地球科学和空间科学
历史: 美国历史、美国政府、经济、世界历史和地理

许多学校要求学生在其高中阶段的每一年都选择英语和历史。数学和科学会根据不同的高中有不同的要求。通常，学生应至少学习三年的数学，但许多优秀的大学倾向于至少参加过四年数学学习的申请者。同时，学生应该至少保证三年以上的理科科目学习时间，如生物、化学和物理。

AP课程
在考虑选择其他类型的选修课时，学生们可以试试一些大学预修课(AP)课程。这些课程类似于同等级的大学课程。在学习结束时，如果学生通过考试，他们就可以拿到相应的大学学分。

大学课程
如果学生不愿意选择AP课程但又希望在高中时期拿到大学学分，那么他们可以咨询当地社区大学的辅导员。学生在社区大学或一些两年制专科学院所修的课程，许多高中也会授予相应的学分。通常，这些课程的学分也会在学生高中毕业之后转移到大学或学院。

希望这些建议可以使学生在选课上少一些压力。

Many high schools allow students to choose their own electives so that they can shape their curricula to their own interests and future career goals. Students who are considering continuing their tertiary education through college or professional schools should pay special attention to what types of courses they select. If you have a specific university, college or school in mind, you should look over their admission requirements. Many of these higher education institutions prefer students to have a particular type or level of education. Here are some general heads up for selecting electives:

General Education
Some high schools will have a very clear statement of how many math, history and science courses that students need to take in order to graduate, though many have specific expectations in mind. According to the professionals at College Board (www.collegeboard.com), you should take at least five core classes each semester or quarter. Here are the courses they recommend:

-English: Literature, Writing/Composition and Speech
-Math: Algebra I/II, Geometry, Trig/Pre-Calc and Calculus
-Science: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science and Space Science
-History: U.S. History, U.S. Government, Economics, World History and Geography

Many high schools require students to take English and history every year of their high school career. Math and science requirements usually vary with the high school. Normally, students should take at least three years of math, but many other higher education schools prefer four years. They should also at least take three years of diverse sciences, such as biology, chemistry and physics.

AP Courses
When thinking about what other type of electives you would like to try, consider taking some advanced placement (AP) courses. The pace of these courses is akin to college-level courses and they have a test at the end of the year. If pass, a student can receive college credit for the course.

College Courses
If you don't want to take AP courses but are interested in receiving college credit for courses you take in high school, ask your counselor about classes at a local community college. Many high schools give students high school credit for classes they take at a community or junior college. Often, these courses are also transferable to the college or university you attend after high school.

Hopefully, these tips can make choosing classes somewhat less stressful.

对希望未来从事财经类工作的学生来说，从高中阶段开始的早期准备将会让他们赢在起跑线上。除了雄心勃勃的坚定决心，目标明确的针对性选课更能帮助他们事半功倍。

数学是一门基础学科，它几乎在所有学科领域中都扮演着不可取代的重要角色。特别地，数学已成为解释经济/金融模型和预测的通用工具。因此，未来的财经精英们不应仅满足于完成每一年必修的基础数学课程，更应该积极挑战大学难度的数学课，如AP微积分和AP统计学。这些高级数学课程将不断加深学生对基本数学理论原则的理解，并且教会学生如何处理数据等实用的技能，为学生今后的进一步深造打下坚实的知识基础。

AP微观经济学和宏观经济学也在强烈推荐之列。在一方面，这些课程让学生了解了基本的经济学知识，并能为学生申请大学的相关专业提供直接帮助。而另一方面，更重要的是系统的经济学思维训练有助于学生形成较强的逻辑思维能力，这将使他们受益终生。正如著名经济学家阿诺德所说，所有人都应该“像经济学家一样思考”。

此外，选择培养研究能力的课程同样对学生大有助益。不管是在未来的学习中进行学术研究，还是在财经工作中撰写专业报告，批判性思考能力和分析能力都是必不可少的。在现有的理论和研究成果基础上，仅仅停留在简单归纳概括的层面上是远远不够的。优秀的学生需要拥有质疑、逻辑推理与反思的能力，从而对财经论题提出自己的独立观点。批判性思考和分析推理能力并不是与生俱来的，因此越早开始培养的学生将越早获益。     

最后，学生需要根据自己的实际能力来选课。一位选了5门AP课程却整体成绩表现不佳的学生，将远不及一位仅修3门AP课程而在所有科目都拿到优秀的学生有竞争力。毕竟，经济学与金融学的核心关注之一正在于如何让现实中有限的资源和能力实现最优化配置。

For students who pursue future success in economic or financial areas, they need to prepare as early as in the high school stage. Besides ambition and determination, selective high school courses with specific focuses will help students approach their goals more effectively.

Mathematics is a fundamental subject which plays an essential role in almost all the fields of study and researches. Particularly, it has become the most popular tool in illustrating economic and financial prediction and models. Therefore, prospective elites in this domain will not only be content with taking ordinary math courses each year, but also be willing to challenge themselves with college-level math lessons, like AP Calculus and AP Statistics. While these advanced math courses continuously strengthen students’ understanding of fundamental rules and principles, they also equip students with practical skills like dealing with data, all of which will lay a solid foundation for students’ further progress.

AP Microeconomics and Macroeconomics are highly recommended as well. On one hand, more apparently, these courses teach students basic economic knowledge and can directly support students’ college application in related majors. On the other hand, more importantly, they provide systematic trainings for students’ logical ways of thinking, which will greatly benefit students in the long run. As the influential economist Arnold puts it, everyone should “think like an economist.”

Moreover, courses in respect to research skills development are considered very helpful. Whether doing academic researches in further study life, or composing professional reports in economic/financial careers, students are expected to master critical thinking and analytical skills. Based on existed theories and observations, beyond simplistic summaries, being able to question, reason and reflect will contribute to establishing students’ own opinions about economic/financial topics. As critical thinking or analytical reasoning abilities are not born with, the earlier students start to be nurtured, the earlier they will get benefited. 
   
Last but not least, students will be suggested that select courses according to their own capabilities. A student who has taken 5 AP courses but scores poorly in most subjects will not be as competitive as another student who has only chosen 3 AP courses with all excellent marks. After all, one of the key concerns of economics and finance is decent leverage of limited resources and capabilities in reality.

许多中国学生及家长并没有意识到培养宣讲能力的重要性。然而，在西方社会，进行宣讲往往是发表和分享观点最为常见的方式。所以，留学生们很有必要了解掌握基本甚至高级的宣讲技巧。

在学校的学习中，宣讲从头到尾都扮演着非常重要的角色。首先，在入学面试时，即使申请者的学业成绩或课外活动经历稍有逊色，令人印象深刻的宣讲也很可能将帮助他们获得梦寐以求的学校录取通知书。其次，许多在校课程都要求学生进行个人或小组宣讲以作为作业或考试的一部分。因此，宣讲的质量将直接影响到学生的成绩评定。此外，毕业论文答辩或许是每一个学生都必须花费心血尽力准备的重要宣讲。精彩的展示能够帮助学生更好地阐释自己的学术观点，为自己几年来辛勤的学习收获更圆满的结局。

与此同时，学生在提高宣讲技巧的过程中能够很好地锻炼自己的个人能力。在公众面前演讲和讲述自己的观点要求演讲者具备较强的组织能力、逻辑表达能力以及自信心。这些特质往往都是后天的培养而成的，需要经过大量的准备、练习与勇气。因此，通过训练，学生能够逐渐养成逻辑组织观点的能力，并能够流畅地进行表达。而且，在享受宣讲的过程中，学生将越发感到自信。

牢记几个关键词将有助于学生进一步提升他们的宣讲水平。“清楚”通常是宣讲中的首要要素。演讲与幻灯片等辅助材料都应该条理清晰，让听众容易理解。适当运用强调、停顿以及在展示材料中标画出重点将很好地帮助演讲者做到这一点。同时，“翔实”也非常重要。演讲者需要提供更多的细节内容来充分说明自己的观点，使之更有说服力。最后，“简洁”也深受听众青睐。这与“翔实”并不冲突，而有助于听众掌握最为重要的信息并且不会分散注意力。

综上所述，宣讲技巧对在欧美国家留学的学生来说非常重要。出色的宣讲能力不仅是一种才能，也将在长期中成就学生的个人竞争优势。

Many Chinese students and parents are not aware of the importance of acquiring presentation skills. However, giving a presentation is an extremely popular way of delivering and sharing ideas in western countries. Therefore, it is crucial for students who study abroad to understand the necessity of mastering essential or even advanced presentation skills.

Presentation plays a significant role from the very beginning to the last step of academic study at school. During admission interviews, candidates will be asked to present themselves. An impressive presentation will probably be the key to their dream schools, even if they have less competitive academic performance or extra-curricular experiences. Also, many courses require students to provide individual or group presentations as part of assignment or exams. The quality of presentation will have an impact on students’ academic performance directly. In addition, the dissertation defence is the most important presentation that every student will dedicate much effort to. Splendid presentations will definitely help students fully demonstrate their ideas and achieve satisfactory outcomes for their hard study.

Furthermore, the process of learning and elevating presentation skills also contributes to improvement of personal abilities. Giving speeches and illustrating one’s ideas in public demand high levels of organizational ability, logical interpretation, and confidence. Such abilities do not accrue at birth, and need large amount of preparation, exercises and courage. During the training process, students will gradually develop their capabilities of idea organization, and be able to express fluently in a well structured way. Meanwhile, students can further build up confidence as they will enjoy themselves when making presentations.

There are a few key words for students to further enhance their presentation performance. “Clarity” usually comes first in giving presentations. Speeches and supporting materials like PPT slides should be both clear in structure and logic, and thus make audience easy to follow. Appropriate emphasis, pauses, as well as highlights in displayed documents are always very useful. Besides, “Informative” also matters. Providing more details will help speakers make strong argument and support their ideas effectively. Moreover, “Concise” will be highly appreciated. It is not necessarily contradictory with being “Informative”, but quite crucial to ensure that audience will acquire key information and not lose concentration.

As discussed above, presentation skills are vital for students who want to pursue success in western societies. Advanced presentation techniques are not only personal qualities, but also give one a competitive edge throughout their life.