Asking for advice from you older guys.

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tgp511

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Hey,

I'm a chemical engineering student considering med school, and while I like the chem-e subject matter thus far (differential equations, organic...) I'm not sure how much I'm going to like working in chemical engineering. Nor do I know if med school is the right path for me. I was considering working straight out of college for a couple years, to see if chem-e was for me and to give me time to further look into med school. Would any of you recommend this? Please post any feedback/experiences you may have to share. Thanks!

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Hmmm. Definitely finish *a* degree now. Not necessarily chem eng. If you're loving math & physical sciences, stick with that. Or study baroque harpsichord if it turns you on. Just take a lot of upper div science now, and keep your GPA high, if you can.

I absolutely recommend working after college, before you invest in further education. I know there are people out there who know themselves and have proven their mettle by age 21, but I wasn't even on the planet yet then. How are you possibly supposed to know who you are, or what you want, at 21? At 25, even. Also, when you are on your own dime, I think it's a different kind of commitment. The downside of waiting? If you want to get married and have kids and a house anytime soon, these will add a magnitude of difficulty to any career change you want to think about. So, you know, you're young and free now, maybe not so much later on.

Can you consider a Peace Corps gig? Teaching? (Teaching in an inner city?) Working on vaccine development? Working in a developing nation? My vote is that spending time in service, and becoming yourself, is more valuable than racing to med school. (Unless you want an MD/PhD for drug discovery that takes 50 years.) What's your best contribution? What makes you happy?

Or if you're a junior Paul Farmer type, then you have time to go to med school while you start a clinic in Haiti and get your PhD in medical anthropology. What a slacker.

If you find yourself wanting to do med school, say when you're 28, at that point you'll just need to take the MCAT, and take some fresh upper-level science. Meanwhile keep up with professors who can recommend you. And stay in good physical shape.

My $.02. Best of luck to you.
 
Thanks for the input. I intend to stick with chem-e. Baroque harpsicord is too hard. My GPA is shaping up to be a 3.5-3.6, not too shabby. Other comments appreciated.
 
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If you're into the chem stuff, and you don't know about the "human" side of medicine, why not go into pharm research? Or go do something with people and decide whether you like them. Either way, I agree w/ the above poster, there is no reason not to work for awhile, especially if you take the MCAT, say, the august after you graduate (while all that science is fresh) and let it sit on ice for a year or two (and if your score sucks, you won't care, except for the cash you tossed).

I had no intention of going MD until my 3rd year UG, and I finished my degree as it was, because I didn't want to go that route till I was sure. Now I'm going back four years later to take the pre-reqs, and let me tell you, all those 19 year olds complaining about how lab reports are cramping their style seem wimpy : ) I have a job, a husband, and a three year old, and honestly, it's not bad, though taking the paycut necessary to work part-time has been a bit of a bummer -that's the major downside, I think, to getting a job. You get used to having cash, eating real food, having, you know, furniture, vacations, etc, and then you have to give it up to become a poor student.
 
I was a Biochem major, then taught for 5 years. Inner-City, 85% fail rate, teen pregnancy...
I definitely recommend teaching for anyone who is idealistic at heart, but has some doubt about the strength of their convictions. The teacher-student dynamic is one of the purest human relationships left, and this can either inspire passion or dread.
I'm 30, starting MSI fall 07.
 
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