Biomedical Engineering a good major for Med School?

[MedBound1]

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That all depends on the school though. My engineering classes were the ones with the biggest curves

Me too, like someone else said earlier, many engineers have the mindset of "C=degree". The job market is really not any better for A students vs. B students in engineering. So being in the top quartile is extemely do-able.

On the flipside, majors like biochem can be extremely competitive sometimes because almost all of the students are continuing on to apply to some type of graduate/professional school following graduation, where they need stellar GPA's.

By far the most 'competitive' atmosphere I experienced in my undergrad was my biochemistry class.

 

[deleted103644]

Molecular biology and biochemistry deal little with a "passion for mathematics and physics".

If you get into x-ray crystallography and NMR it does.

Not to mention physical chemistry.

 

[ajs08029]

By far the most 'competitive' atmosphere I experienced in my undergrad was my biochemistry class.

I completely agree. Biochemistry was so competitive. In my engineering classes, we all seemed to work together so everyone would succeed. Much more friendly atmosphere

 

[swtbrnpelican04]

In my experience, the admission committees at school's where I have interviewed recognized the difficulty of engineering majors (Mechanical in my case) and took that into consideration. I went to a very good engineering school. My advice to OP is to do BME because you will stand out from other pre-med applicants and because you are passionate about it. Passion for BME will ultimately translate into good grades and good EC's.

As far as grades are concerned, shoot for above a 3.5. Getting super good grades isn't necessary unless you want to go to a top medical school. Even with those great grades nothing is a guarantee.

I got a 3.37GPA and am matriculating this year to an MD school. I think being passionate about my ECs and excelling with those helped me make my application. OP should do what he is passionate about.

 

[serendipity007]

I definitely agree. BioE or BME are pretty awesome that is IF you like it. Despite the fact that they are easier than other types of engineering, please still keep in mind that BioE or BME have the word 'engineering' in them. Some people make an assumption that it BME is a glorified pre-med major but I have seen many pre-meds drop out just because it is too hard for them.

I am sure that's not the case for you since you already said that you're good with math/physics which means that you will be set for at least the foundations. You can build up on them later.

I agree with you that occasionally someone who got a 3.8 in engineering could have had a 3.9 or 4.0 in many other majors. But, we could argue all day about whether it is worth it. Maybe an admissions committee member doesn't emphasize the major your GPA came from all the time, but being in BME hooked me up with years of research, an EMT certification, president of clubs/organizations, a patent pending device. Things I wouldn't have experienced in another major and I would therefore think it IS worth the chance your GPA will take a hit (not everyones GPA does take a hit, I made a 4.0 in engineering but probably wouldve had a 3.5 in sociology tbh)

This^^ I definitely agree with you MedBound. The opportunities one gathers from BioE/BME sometimes outweigh a lower GPA.

 

[EnginrTheFuture]

I cannot sit on the sidelines of this one anymore.

For those of you saying this person should choose their major based off of what their GPA is likely to be.... you guys need a serious reality check. Did you not take the "risk of going pre-med?. I could have argued to you 4 years ago that you shouldn't try to be a doctor because it is extremely difficult to get in and people that fail end up doing benchwork until they turn into ashes. If BME is a part of this person's development into a physician, why would you argue it shouldn't be? With the logic some of you are taking, you are basically saying someone should take the easiest quickest route to becoming a doctor possible. NO.... no no no no no no. The ENTIRE POINT of college is not to get you into medical school. Holy god this sentiment distrubs me. College is supposed to challenge you, cause you to discover your strengths and weaknesses, push your intellectual bounds and prepare you to make a real difference. If you aren't doing that, I pity you and I am saddened to be your future collegue. You have missed out on the entire beauty of education... risk and curiosity.

If this person is good at biology, math and physics, to say he shouldn't train in BME is selling him short of his potential. I know if I hadn't become an engineer I wouldn't have the capability of tackling truly complex technical innovation that I desire to get involved in as a physician.

You all have taken the development out of developing into a physician. OP, sometimes the dirt road is better than the highway... if you want to see the countryside.... I urge you to avoid breathing in everyone's exaust and staring at lightpoles. I'll greet you at the final destination and talk to you about how cool all the scenery was.

 

[Smokemont]

In general it depends on the professor, but I have had only 1 engineering class that wasn't curved.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I think some of you need to tone down the shear idealism...

 

[qwerty2012]

I only had the fortune/misfortune of doin bme for one year but I have met some of the most brilliants students..more than any other majors(j/k).
Study anything you enjoy.. don't just do it because it helps you to go to med school. I did bme for a year then quit because I didn't like it...also spenting most of my time doing other "stuff" and not studying didn't help either.

 

[jesuscash]

I just signed up for BME program in my school today.
This thread has helped me a lot.
I'm doing this to help me in medical school, to prepare me for the intense coursework and whatnot.
Any advice for someone just starting their BME career? 😀

 

[gettheleadout]

Well if you don't do BME, definitely do a Engineering major.

Taking the easy route isn't going to cut it anymore, especially after 2016.

Schools like Harvard (as stated on their admissions page) are going to REQUIRE math into Differential Equations / Linear Algebra and Calc Physics.

As you can tell from my username maybe I'm a little biased.

Since no one has pointed it out yet, this is flat out wrong.

Harvard will not be requiring differential equations, linear algebra, or calculus-based physics in 2016 and do not require them now.

The Harvard HST program, a very small subset of the students at HMS, already "requires" that applicants be comfortable with the first two subjects listed above, but even these requirements are lenient, as I've been told by Harvard students.

HST is like 30 students out of 200 at HMS any given year, and definitely not the typical Harvard med student.

And heck, Harvard doesn't even require Cal II anymore; you're fine with Cal I and a statistics course.

http://hms.harvard.edu/content/requirements-admission

 

[Rumalum]

my little rule of thumb is to always do whatever is most challenging. the doors fly open when you follow that rule

 

[gettheleadout]

my little rule of thumb is to always do whatever is most challenging. the doors fly open when you follow that rule

I would say the doors' response depends on your performance...

 

[Smokemont]

I think some of you need to tone down the shear idealism...

And I think you need to tone down your condescending holier than thou remarks.

 

[sliceofbread136]

And I think you need to tone down your condescending holier than thou remarks.

I think you need to tone down the mad.

And how is saying that it isn't that bad of an idea for some people to take easy majors to get into medical school holier than thou? 😕

 

[Chemdude]

It's a great major. You get the chance to use the "Engineering Card" (I am an Engineer, therefore I am greater than you) without actually having to bust your ass. Even the biology majors mocked the leniency of the biomed engineering curriculum (and we-chemistry majors- similarly mocked the biology majors).

In all honesty, just do what you like without risking your GPA. If I had to do it all over again, I'd major in psychology...simply because it's easy and doesn't require as much time as majoring in a science would.

 

[jamisondb]

Since no one has pointed it out yet, this is flat out wrong.

Harvard will not be requiring differential equations, linear algebra, or calculus-based physics in 2016 and do not require them now.

This. I don't see Harvard (or any med school for that matter) requiring those requirements now or in the near future. The MCAT only tests algebra-based physics. God forbid the day anything beyond Calc II is required for med school admissions.

 

[EngineerAndDoctor]

In my experience, the admission committees at school's where I have interviewed recognized the difficulty of engineering majors (Mechanical in my case) and took that into consideration. I went to a very good engineering school. My advice to OP is to do BME because you will stand out from other pre-med applicants and because you are passionate about it. Passion for BME will ultimately translate into good grades and good EC's.

As far as grades are concerned, shoot for above a 3.5. Getting super good grades isn't necessary unless you want to go to a top medical school. Even with those great grades nothing is a guarantee.

I got a 3.37GPA and am matriculating this year to an MD school. I think being passionate about my ECs and excelling with those helped me make my application. OP should do what he is passionate about.

Ok, you just made my day...I'm a Chemical Engineering major, emphasis in BioChem & minor in Humanitarian Engineering & I most definitely do not have a 3.8. Did you get into your first choice?

 

[Doug Underhill]

Don't do engineering if your goal is to get into medical school. Do engineering because you want to be an engineer. It's a tougher major than most of the biology ones and cGPA is the 2nd most important thing on your application after MCAT.

 

[claduva94]

Don't do engineering if your goal is to get into medical school. Do engineering because you want to be an engineer. It's a tougher major than most of the biology ones and cGPA is the 2nd most important thing on your application after MCAT.

I disagree. I haven't found it to be too difficult and have found the engineering way of thinking quite useful for pre-medical courses. While it isn't for everyone, it certainly is a good option for some.

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

I disagree. I haven't found it to be too difficult and have found the engineering way of thinking quite useful for pre-medical courses. While it isn't for everyone, it certainly is a good option for some.

+111111111111

 

[Afford]

It depends. If your goal is just to get into med school, then pick the major that will give you the higher GPA. Some people will get a higher GPA in engineering than in biology and vice versa. It depends on how your brain thinks.

 

[swtbrnpelican04]

Ok, you just made my day...I'm a Chemical Engineering major, emphasis in BioChem & minor in Humanitarian Engineering & I most definitely do not have a 3.8. Did you get into your first choice?

I did get my first choice. I fell pretty solidly in with the rest of my class statistically (above median MCAT, below median GPA).

 

[iBro]

I'm split on the idea of an engineering undergrad. On what hand it would be a great backup if you don't want to attend or don't get into medical school (a luxury us biochemistry/bio/chemistry people don't have). On the other hand it seems like a waste since the degree is training you for a profession you will never practice.

 

[Boolean]

I'm split on the idea of an engineering undergrad. On what hand it would be a great backup if you don't want to attend or don't get into medical school (a luxury us biochemistry/bio/chemistry people don't have). On the other hand it seems like a waste since the degree is training you for a profession you will never practice.

Your point being? How many people are actually going to use a biomedical sciences or heck even a biology degree outside of medicine or academia?

 

[iBro]

Your point being? How many people are actually going to use a biomedical sciences or heck even a biology degree outside of medicine or academia?

My point is that a generic science degree doesn't train you to actually 'be' anything, it just gives you foundational knowledge.

An engineering degree actually trains you to be an engineer though, similar to how a BSN trains you to be a nurse or an actuarial science degree to be an actuary.

I'm not saying an engineering degree for premed is wrong, I'm just pointing some things out. I could be wrong though.

 

[MajorBubblez]

My point is that a generic science degree doesn't train you to actually 'be' anything, it just gives you foundational knowledge.

An engineering degree actually trains you to be an engineer though, similar to how a BSN trains you to be a nurse or an actuarial science degree to be an actuary.

I'm not saying an engineering degree for premed is wrong, I'm just pointing some things out. I could be wrong though.

lol engineering majors don't 'train' you to be an engineer. they also give you the foundational knowledge. PhDs and internships are where you are trained to be an engineer.

 

[iBro]

lol engineering majors don't 'train' you to be an engineer. they also give you the foundational knowledge. PhDs and internships are where you are trained to be an engineer.

I always though internships were essentially a requirement for engineering majors, it seems I'm wrong about that.

 

[MajorBubblez]

I always though internships were essentially a requirement for engineering majors, it seems I'm wrong about that.

At least for me and my school, they were not a requirement for graduation but all of the people I knew who got engineering jobs straight out of undergrad had interned at several companies. When I decided to take a year off, I hadn't interned anywhere and thus wasn't able to get an engineering job anywhere because I hadn't learned how to be an engineer yet. This despite my perfect 4.00.

 

[sliceofbread136]

BME is a stupid and useless major. If you want to do engineering then do EE and actually leave college with some applicable skills

 

[claduva94]

BME is a stupid and useless major. If you want to do engineering then do EE and actually leave college with some applicable skills

🙄 Care to provide any support for your generalization?

 

[sliceofbread136]

🙄 Care to provide any support for your generalization?

BME is supposed to be the jack of all trades kind of major, but in reality it is more of a master of none kind of major. You don't learn anything useful, especially if you didn't choose a programming or circuit based tract. Even if you did go programming/circuits you are still a poor man's EE.

Better off going EE and taking bio classes on the side. The final straw in my mind was when my friends and I had to pretend to be EEs in order to find intership opportunities. That's when you know your major sucks.

Edit: didn't realize this was a thread I was posting in 2 years ago lol

 

[MajorBubblez]

BME is a stupid and useless major. If you want to do engineering then do EE and actually leave college with some applicable skills

I'll agree to disagree. I think BME is a great major for those looking to going to medical school. It provides a very well rounded curriculum designed to integrate different body systems. The critical thinking skills developed seem to be extraordinary too. And it gives you a lot of early exposure to medical equipment in terms of experience and design, which I think will be very beneficial in an increasingly technically dependent medical environment.

Now if you want to go into engineering/tech... avoid this major.

 

[Quinoline]

I once asked a physician about majoring in BME vs. biology, explaining that I am much more interested in the content of biochemistry and biology classes than BME classes, but I also enjoy problem solving.

His response was that I will learn all of the biology I could ever want to know in medical school, while the critical thinking skills I am developing in engineering would not be developed if I spent 4 years memorizing lecture notes.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

BME is supposed to be the jack of all trades kind of major, but in reality it is more of a master of none kind of major. You don't learn anything useful, especially if you didn't choose a programming or circuit based tract. Even if you did go programming/circuits you are still a poor man's EE.

Better off going EE and taking bio classes on the side. The final straw in my mind was when my friends and I had to pretend to be EEs in order to find intership opportunities. That's when you know your major sucks.

Edit: didn't realize this was a thread I was posting in 2 years ago lol

So much truth to that bolded statement because I have my degree in BME. It'll give you an engineering foundation, but you learn bits and pieces of multiple disciplines, but never get a solid enough grasp on any one. If I could do undergrad all over again, I would have done mechanical engineering with a focus on biomechanics because that's what I ended up doing research in.

BME is such an over-****ing-hyped major. But the problem-solving skills you get in an engineering major are very valuable.

 

[Quanticks]

My point is that a generic science degree doesn't train you to actually 'be' anything, it just gives you foundational knowledge.

An engineering degree actually trains you to be an engineer though, similar to how a BSN trains you to be a nurse or an actuarial science degree to be an actuary.

I'm not saying an engineering degree for premed is wrong, I'm just pointing some things out. I could be wrong though.

My input: Engineering is all about fundamentals. Foundation of physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, conservation laws, heat transfer, and generic problem solving approached are the basic building blocks of engineering.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I'll agree to disagree. I think BME is a great major for those looking to going to medical school. It provides a very well rounded curriculum designed to integrate different body systems. The critical thinking skills developed seem to be extraordinary too. And it gives you a lot of early exposure to medical equipment in terms of experience and design, which I think will be very beneficial in an increasingly technically dependent medical environment.

Now if you want to go into engineering/tech... avoid this major.

You have some good points. BME also covers alot of premed prereqs. Still, if I had to do it all over again I would pick a real engineering major, or maybe physics.

 

[Shuckle]

I don't know if this thread is still active but I am torn between choosing EE or BE. Currently EE has 20 more credit requirements than BE because of the pre-med classes.

 

[ugafan1222]

I'm a BME major and I absolutely love it. I do feel that it has been beneficial for me to be a BME major. Engineering classes teach you to think critically and problem solve rather than just memorize information. I found the MCAT to not be as hard as I was anticipating and that a lot of my engineering classes prepared me very well for it. As said before, it's also a great fall back career if med school doesn't work out.

Plus you can get awesome internships! I've been able to help develop medical devices and been paid very well which has made it easy to save up money for med school apps.

if you have any questions about my experience as a BME major, feel free to PM me

I would love to ask you about BME if you get a chance to talk.