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Hey guys I need some advice on engineering/career stuff...
I'm a freshman in the first semester of college so I have some flexibility about what I want to major, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to do premed (i think im going to grad school for md-phd or some biomedically related phd). That leaves a lot of options for undergrad, but I've always really enjoyed math/physics in high school and a few uni classes that I have taken (before college).
Thing is, where I go to school at least it seems like all the math/physics people are so tuned into the material that they just get things instantly and have a really good grasp of the conceptual side...I did fine in ap physics/math, uni physics, and high school calc III/IV, but I feel like I don't just "get" the material as much as other kids. Either way, the subjects are pretty far from the biomed type material I want to get into in the long run...
What the math/physics preference has done is draw me toward engineering...It seems like a really fun and interesting thing to do. So for undergrad, I'm pretty psyched and set to go engineering. The question is which?
Orginally I thought I would go electrical because I'm decent with CS, like computers, and did well in university intro computer science and electrical engineering. This was mostly before I decided I wanted to end up in the bio research field, so I was fine with ending up in ele research. After working at the NIH over the summer though, working on a biophysics project (through a connection X.X), I realized I enjoyed the material, objectives, and lifestyle of the biomed field...I worked there 2 months and wanted by the end to end up there for good.
So for a brief period I was like ok I'll do electrical/premed and keep my options open...But then I realized that electrical doesn't really work with premed too much (should have seen that coming...besides neuro, which is a super technical application). I looked into other engineerings and it looked like chemical made a lot of sense...lots of class overlap and also a specialization of the chem e department for biochem. Sounds great right?
I'm unsure though now because the material in chemical engineering seems really technical. (I guess all engineering is really technical though...but the pure math/sciences are either intimidating or boring T.T) Right now I'm taking intro to chem engineering and we're doing like flow rates and reaction balances and moving into gas stuff and it seems like we're learning little pieces of what you would need to go applying chem to industry immediately, and they're presented in a kind of random, disorganized way. Paired wih that, I just discovered how much my school's mechanical engineering program has links to bioengineering as well, so I'm thinking about that.
So...questions...
If I think the engineering subjects are a little technical/boring, should I get out of engineering? (the electrical engineering class I took didnt seem that way, but I hear the real classes are a lot tougher/less fun than the intro classes)
What's mechanical engineering like? Materials engineering? If I were to go mechanical the bio-links are subclassed inside the materials specialization. Is materials really technical? Would it be more math/physics oriented, without having to be a genius to do well?
This is a lot more specific but...how do mechanical and chemical approach bio, and where would you end up research wise with either approach?
How about premed? Does anything in undergrad re:discipline really matter for med school?
I'll talk to my advisor about this too, but I was wondering if you guys (a lot of TL'ers are engineers right?) could give me some advice. I hope this blog wasn't too walloftextboring T.T and appreciate any perspective, especially from engineers.
 
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Aotearoa39261 Posts
edited for paragraphing - walls of text are daunting man!
I'm no engineer unfortunately =[ and as a mathematician I look down on you lol
hope someone can be of assistance to you!
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Sorry about that >.< I didnt preview and added spacing with my own edit right as you did haha
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United States24493 Posts
On October 21 2009 07:23 Plexa wrote:
I'm no engineer unfortunately =[ and as a mathematician I look down on you lol
Attitude!?
Mathematicians work with numbers, letters, theorems, etc, and learn how to solve hypothetical math problems (obviously).
Physicists model real world situations into mathematics and then use the mathematical techniques developed by mathematicians to solve the mathematical equations (often). Then they interpret the results and end up with something useful.
Engineers take those useful results from the physicists and create physical systems/equipment that accomplish real life tasks.
This is an oversimplified chain, but for any one member to look down on another is very foolish (I don't think you really look down on him though :p I have too much respect for you to believe that).
OP, I was physics rather than engineering, but I'd strongly suggest you only do engineering if you are willing to pour your heart/soul into it as it's a huge bitch of a major most places. I'm all for combing two different fields to specialize post-college though so think about how you would use your undergraduate experience/credentials to further your career opportunities in addition to what you are purely interested in.
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Aotearoa39261 Posts
Of course I don't look down on him micronesia 
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United States24493 Posts
On October 21 2009 07:37 Plexa wrote:Of course I don't look down on him micronesia
Yeah but there actually is a lot of tension between these three groups of people in academia... it's kinda hard to believe it exists at such a level but it does 
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Yea well as an Anthropologist I look down on all your equation, problem solving, letters and numbers mumbo jumbo.
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Aotearoa39261 Posts
On October 21 2009 07:38 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On October 21 2009 07:37 Plexa wrote:Of course I don't look down on him micronesia Yeah but there actually is a lot of tension between these three groups of people in academia... it's kinda hard to believe it exists at such a level but it does
so true =[
although at my univ the tension between the departments isnt that bad compared to the other univs! for instance we have a kickass math/engineering biology unit 
anyway, we digress from the topic at hand!
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Why not just do biomedical engineering....?
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Hi, I am currently in my 3rd undergraduate year in chemical engineering.
"Chemical engineering graduates who take several electives in the biological sciences have a strong record of success in gaining medical school admission."
"Some students took elective courses in biochemistry and microbiology and got jobs with small but rapidly growing biotechnology firms"
this is taken from one of my textbooks, you may have it if you have bought some books already for first year. I really think chem eng would be the best engineering to take if you want to pursue either a career in the bio-chem research field. I think you absolutely need organic chemistry to apply to med school and that is a required course for chemical engineers to take ( at least for my school it is ).
The chemistry courses you take and other courses dealing with mass transfer will probably serve you well in a bio-chem field, and would be much more appealing on your resume than mechanical engineering. while chemEng and mechEng are similar in some areas, mechanical focuses more on physics based material, as opposed to chemistry.
I think taking premed would be more useful than engineering if you 100% want to go to medical school though. While after getting a degree in engineering you will have developed your mind to think efficiently and solve problems, you cant really use the specific things you learned. in premed you would learn Physiology and other biology type things that is useful in understanding how the human body works. I would imagine if someone thinks working in medicine is their career path choice, then they would enjoy biology/pre-med more than engineering, as they are two really different paths.
The best advice I could give though is to talk to the deans of all the engineering departments your interesting and find out the requirements to apply to medical school. Try and find someone working in the bio-chem field to see if its possible to branch into the field with an engineering degree.
hope this helps.
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On October 21 2009 07:56 ocho wrote:
Why not just do biomedical engineering....?
QFT, at the university I go to, biomed is a very electronic based area as it focuses on the basic electronic courses and then moves on to imaging and sensors. They also incorporate some chemistry and kineseology supplement your knowledge. If you want to do pre-med theres also the option of that built into the bio-med program which will includes some biology/organic chem so that you can meet your pre req's for med school.
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I'm a 4th year mechanical engineering student, and the only engineering major i've ever met who was pre-med was Bio-e. Most pre-med students I know are Biochemistry or Plant Bio, or Genetics, or occasionally something random like philosophy. Engineering is usually a pretty hard major, so if you don't plan to work as a engineer (or something similar) after graduating, it seems strange to major in it.
I would normally think your school's materials program would be way closer to Bio-e than ME because a lot of Bio-E is developing synthetic materials for surgery and stuff. ME is really broad, but it focuses on controlling/designing systems that are constantly changing. (cars, aerospace, etc.)
If you find engineering classes too technical... they'll only get more technical. Are you not interested in Bio/Chem? Because those classes are going to be the most relevant to med school.
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Hmm with respect to med school, I really plan on going into bio research in the long run...my plan is to do either phd in some biomed related subject or get an md/phd. Maybe mol bio is the major for me? Pure chem is too theoretical for me i think...I guess my biggest problem is finding a balance between theoretical and technical stuff that I'm comfortable with.
My school does not have biomedical engineering T.T why did i not go to hopkins =/
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I'm 2nd year Civil, but I have a lot of courses with other engineering strains. Be prepared - the amount of work you will have to do is a bitch and a half.
I have a friend in pre-med - he actually feels sorry for me and the work I have to do. Honestly though, I do not think that I could handle all of the biology he has to do. We are wired differently, I guess.
If you can handle the engineering stuff, but you can't do the medical stuff - at least you have a very solid degree already. If you go for the pre-med, and you don't get all the way through, you're in a rough spot. I think that it would be better if you did the engineering first, for that reason.
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Calgary25954 Posts
if you are going into med school, dont be a hero - take something fucking easy that you are good at so you can get a high grade. now is not the time to take the high road and something "challenging that you enjoy".
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On October 21 2009 08:47 Chill wrote:
if you are going into med school, dont be a hero - take something fucking easy that you are good at so you can get a high grade. now is not the time to take the high road and something "challenging that you enjoy".
Agreed to full extent! Look, you only have this short lived 4 years of college life and trying to spend at least 75% on engineering isn't the best option especially if you aren't planning to do engineering in the end. It's a huge commitment and you won't be seeing flopping As anytime soon on your grades unless you're a super genius of most people (and I mean even within the groups of engineering students). Just do something easy, live up your life and have fun!!! That's what college is all about!! ^_^
That being said, I will warn you and all potential engineering students (and I know some of you can testify here) that this field isn't for everyone. As a former engineering student, I know how this system works and there are one of those "weed" out classes whose purpose really seem to make sure the theory of Darwinism is at hands... obviously as you see, I wasn't the fittest out of them all (nor close, which is why I'm happily a broadcast journalism major), so think wisely.... a best example would be my former engineering school where 150 freshmen started out as joyful engineering students, and by the time of graduation, there are about 20-30 remaining as the loyal beings of engineering.....
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Note: I'm not an engineer (chemist/biochemist), however, I do have reasonable knowledge on the subject due to sibling and father Engineering prof.
First of all I recommend doing what interests you most and fits with your future career plans otherwise you'll get worn down in undergrad pretty fast.
In terms of medical school, all those options are fine for getting into med as long as you have good marks. Unfortunately engineering is generally tougher and harder to outperform, so ultimately if you aren't a top student it might be harder to get in (I still do know quite a few engineers who are now in med school). If you really do want to go to get into med school as an engineer I would probably recommend chemical or biomedical since they will help you prepare the most (eg. MCAT), and likely will require to take courses that are required for med school application.
In terms of doing a PhD in BioMed or Mol Bio etc., I think any of the options you listed are still fine, although once again I would recommend chemical or biomed eng. since they will be most useful. From my experience a good background in physics/math/chemistry is invaluable even in the field of biology. Having a good knowledge of these things will help you to understand many things that pure biologists cannont grasp. As an example, one of my professors did a PhD in physics and now does bioanalytical/cancer research.
Honestly, if you feel you like and can handle (ie. do well) in engineering I would recommend going for it. Worst case scenario is that you come out with an engineering degree which is much better than a pre.med or anything else really. Engineering will also teach you skills for approaching and solving problems which are invaluable and good transferable skills. An engineer should not have a problem pursuing a bio research career, and you will actual imo be at an advantage. Preferably though take an engineering that will teach/apply to med/bio ie. chemistry/biomed/etc.
Hope this helps
edit: lol, if your going into an engineering program like the one the previous poster was in, then maybe scrap what I said; however, that being said, I don't believe most engineering programs are like that unless you're at MIT, CIT??/
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I'm a 3rd year undergraduate engineer in Infrastructure engineering - which is probably not a field of your interest - but as a fellow undergrad engineer, I want to share some of my ideas about what you said.
The people above me (as in the replies above me) speak from experience and are probably correct.
- To get into med school, you need good marks (in Canada, we use both GPA and averages as well as the med school exam thing) so doing an undergrad in engineering is not helping your chances (because eng. marks are usually not exceptional - it's belled often but it's a cluster around low 70's unless you're really, really smart and good at exams).
- If you find some of your courses boring, it may be an indication that you might want to start looking elsewhere. That being said, despite some courses being boring, you should stay in a program where you see your future at. Listening to digital logics might not be your best interest but you might really love working with E&M - both are essentials in any electrical engineering programs.
- Having strengths in math, problem solving, and time management - just few of the many characteristics of an engineer - you might even find interest in another field of engineering. I mean, you're only a freshman and you've got years of opportunities ahead. The "final life choice" does not need to be made here, and swaying in different directions before settling in on one is normal for anybody.
Besides, most engineering programs begin with the fundamentals in first year - calculus, programming, basic physics, engineering design - all of them are applicable in any branch of engineering.
Unless going into med school is a must and you are definitely set on that, I suggest staying in engineering. As some people said above, coming out with an engineering degree (most likely B.A.Sc - bachelor of applied science) is much much better than any other undergrad science degree.
If for any reason you're interested in infrastructure engineering, I'll be glad to explain more about that~
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