Biochemistry vs Chemical Engineering

[gasperino]

I want to purse a medical career but i guess i am not academically ready yet.I already have a bachelor's degree in liberal arts with a GPA of 3.39 but i am considering going back to college for a second bachelor's degree in either Biochemistry or Chemical engineering.I have made inquiries to be admitted directly into Chemical Engineering but most schools are not willing to accept me cause they said i am not calculus/mathematics ready cause i have no calculus, physics and chemistry in my first degree.But they are willing to admit me into Biochemistry.

My plan therefore is to start off with the Biochemistry then fulfill those engineering requirements(calculus,physics,chem etc.) and then transfer to Cheamical Engineering.My questions therefore are:
1 Is this a smart decision and can i really transfer from Biochem to ChemEng?

2 As someone having medical school in view which major among those two would be the best to stick to?

NOTE:
I consider Chemical engineering as a back up plan in case i don not make it to medical school.

I would appreciate responses.Thanks in anticipation.

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[JRG]

Generally hard to transfer into engineering without very high grades. So keep that in mind. Chemical engineering isn't in the best place right now, and from what I hear it's hard to find a job. Also it is more difficult to get a high GPA in engineering, and it's harder to squeeze in your prereqs. Honestly, I say just stick with biochem and put in 100% effort to make sure you get into a medical school.
Also maybe consider a postbacc or smp instead of a second degree?

+1 on the postbacc as it sounds like you don't have the requirements down for schools yet anyhow. No need to thrown money and time at getting a second degree if medical school is absolutely what you want to do. A postbacc can go a long way in the eyes of an admissions committee if you perform very highly. And on top of that I'd be wiling to bet that with a liberal arts degree your science GPA has barely been touched so it shouldn't be too hard to bump that up to dang near 4.0 which would be really impressive!

 

[slatermd]

I want to purse a medical career but i guess i am not academically ready yet.I already have a bachelor's degree in liberal arts with a GPA of 3.39 but i am considering going back to college for a second bachelor's degree in either Biochemistry or Chemical engineering.I have made inquiries to be admitted directly into Chemical Engineering but most schools are not willing to accept me cause they said i am not calculus/mathematics ready cause i have no calculus, physics and chemistry in my first degree.But they are willing to admit me into Biochemistry.

My plan therefore is to start off with the Biochemistry then fulfill those engineering requirements(calculus,physics,chem etc.) and then transfer to Cheamical Engineering.My questions therefore are:
1 Is this a smart decision and can i really transfer from Biochem to ChemEng?

2 As someone having medical school in view which major among those two would be the best to stick to?

NOTE:
I consider Chemical engineering as a back up plan in case i don not make it to medical school.

I would appreciate responses.Thanks in anticipation.

Dude...I tried looking into this for you, but Google Maps doesn't have directions to go from the seventh to the eighth circle of hell.

If you want to be a chemical engineer, you'll need to focus on chemical engineering.

If you want to get into medical school, especially with your 3.39 from your first degree, you need to protect your GPA this time around and chemical engineering is just not the way to do that.

You want a backup plan? Look into the requirements to apply for PA and/or PT school and take these with the med school prerequisites. From what I've seen you would need to add Anatomy/Physiology and microbiology to the med school prereqs. I don't think you need to screw around with calculus but you should do your own research on exactly what would be needed.

If you play your cards right, you go back to undergrad for 2 years to do all these classes, then apply to med school, PA school, PT school, and if you want to you could also look at advanced degree nursing programs. This way you're giving yourself the best shot at getting into med school (by avoiding the potential ravaging of your grades by the chem engineering major), and if you don't get in hopefully you'll have an alternative in another health-related field that has a great shot at paying you as well as or even better than chemical engineering.

The PA or PT route wouldn't even cost you more time than starting from scratch on a Chem-E degree.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Neither will be all the impressive tbh. But honestly, I don't understand why you want to get a second degree? Both of those majors will take you at the min 3 years to finish. Just go enroll in a postbacc for 12 months and apply to medical school with the highest gpa you can get. I can tell you right now chemical engineering will transform your gpa into trash.

 

[JESSFALLING]

Neither will be all the impressive tbh. But honestly, I don't understand why you want to get a second degree? Both of those majors will take you at the min 3 years to finish. Just go enroll in a postbacc for 12 months and apply to medical school with the highest gpa you can get. I can tell you right now chemical engineering will transform your gpa into trash.

Don't waste your time with meaningless filler (i.e. ANYTHING that won't help you get into medical school....if that's your goal). This isn't difficult: Take the needed classes via post-bacc, get the grades, volunteer/shadow, nail the MCAT, and then apply and get in somewhere. Consider DO admissions as a backup if needed. All engineering programs are tough, but ChemE is a notorious killer.

 

[NeuralNetwork]

I vote for biochem or just required prereqs with postbac. At least with the biochem route, you practice what is said to be more important in med school which is memorization.

 

[gasperino]

Thanks guys.I really do appreciate the responses.I have previously considered the postbacc but my set-back is that the bachelor's degree is an international bachelor's degree.But i have evaluated it to an American Standard through World Educational Services(WES) and that was why i ended up getting 3.39(american equivalent); but it originally carried 3.8.

With a foreign credential,most medical schools require one to have 60-90 credits of studies in the USA to apply to medical schools.Now, i don't know if a postbacc will fulfill those credits requirement.And since i don't want to take chances too, that was why i decided to get another bachelor's degree to be on a safer side.Secondly,i also don't want to finish a post-bacc and maybe not being accepted.I am not doubting myself but we know life is full of uncertainties.

Thanks for the advice so far.I will still appreciate more insights and suggestions.

 

[kpcrew]

chemical engineering is one of the worst choices you can make if you want to get a good gpa

 

[Midwestern Blot]

I graduated with a double major in ChemE and Biochem. It's pretty tough, and will really work you to death. I wouldn't suggest majoring in either one or both if you are struggling with GPA though.

 

[equinsu ocha]

If you go for another degree, take calc and calc based physics and see how you do. If you are pretty effortlessly getting A's in these, then do chemical engineering. If you struggle through these, do biochem.

Chemical engineering can give you a great job if you change your mind. Biochem would most likely land you in a research lab for minimal pay.

 

[jippyslim]

Kinda in the same boat as OP in that i did my undergrad abroad. I've started taking pre-reqs at my local community college with the intention rolling the credits from my previous undergrad + pre-reqs into a 4 year degree. It sucks, but at least it would allow me to apply to more schools, instead of the few that will accept 60 or so credits in the states.

 

[bassvp]

It's my understanding that backup plans, while a smart option for the average person, are not as highly regarded to medical schools.

>3.5 is an awesome ChE GPA. >3.5 is a 'meh' med school applicant GPA.

Find something in Biology to help you out. There may be other options in biology that have better backup job options that lead you closer to medical school than a ChE degree will.

 

[hydrogen1]

Biochemistry is a much easier major than chemical engineering IMO. I have done biochemistry research and have a masters in chemical engineering. There really is absolutely no comparison. 3.5-3.6 Chem E is easily about a 3.8-3.85 Biochem, yet school will NOT weight your GPA like this.....Only do chemical engineering if you love it, in and of itself. If you do love engineering then it is one hell of a backup plan considering you can make 60k+ starting with a bachelors....think hard before going to ChE!

 

[Double Trouble]

Biochemistry is a much easier major than chemical engineering IMO. I have done biochemistry research and have a masters in chemical engineering. There really is absolutely no comparison. 3.5-3.6 Chem E is easily about a 3.8-3.85 Biochem, yet school will NOT weight your GPA like this.....Only do chemical engineering if you love it, in and of itself. If you do love engineering then it is one hell of a backup plan considering you can make 60k+ starting with a bachelors....think hard before going to ChE!

Only 60k? A few of my relatives and family started at 100k their first year out of undergrad.

Edit: I noticed the plus sign, I just thought the range of pay was more like 80k+. And it doesn't matter even if its 120k if he gets into medical school, right?

 

[gasperino]

Kinda in the same boat as OP in that i did my undergrad abroad. I've started taking pre-reqs at my local community college with the intention rolling the credits from my previous undergrad + pre-reqs into a 4 year degree. It sucks, but at least it would allow me to apply to more schools, instead of the few that will accept 60 or so credits in the states.

I was thinking of taking this route too but i was scared medical schools might not consider me competitive if i take classes in a community college.So i applied to a University to start afresh in the fall.Does medical school consider one competitive if they submit transcripts from community colleges even if the major pre-requisites for medical school were not taken in that community college? Has anyone who went to a community college, then transferred to a university ever being admitted into medical school?