Can't help but feel like I made a mistake.

[Panksy]

I'd always had my mind set on becoming an Oncologist, and I can't help but feel I'm getting father and farther from my goal.

I'm a transfer student to an engineering school currently pursuing chemical engineering with a minor in materials engineering. I chose chemical engineering in case the mcat didn't work out (I was never a good test taker, SAT during HS was 1880) and if I wouldnt be accepted to medical school, I would have a good degree to fall back on, and hopefully tackle the oncological field as an engineer.

I transferred from a CC with a 3.65 and my first two quarters have been 4.0

Here's where I stand, I have 2 years left to graduate and I have all the Pre-Med requirements except for a year of biology.
I currently have declared a Chemical Engineering BS, with a minor in Materials Engineering.

If I want to give it a shot at the MCAT and Medschool applications, I need to take a year of Bio and begin studying for the mcat.
My other alternative, is double minor in Microbiology, and graduate and try and make my impact on the oncological field outside of being by the patient's side and leave my medical school goals behind, so the minor would allow me to place my foot in the door of a biomedical industry, whereas I feel if I don't take the microbio minor, I'll be so far off if I don't get accepted to medical school.

Not sure what to do and could use some support or advice on the issue.

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[Eccesignum]

You have a solid GPA and still need to take the MCAT. That's fine, I'm...not understanding where the problem is. If it does require "extra" time it's hardly the end of the world. Sounds like you might also need some ECs (unless you're just not talking about them here), which an extra year would give you plenty of time to look into.

Are you just trying to decide whether you actually want to go to medical school or not? That's not really something a bunch of strangers can easily answer for you. Is there something besides academics that's inspiring doubt?

 

[eteshoe]

Don't pick up another minor. Take 3 yrs to finish the degree if needed. I was a ChE/Biochem in undergrad and the only thing that engineering taught me was how to handle an insane course load. The road to becoming an oncologist is so long (4 yrs med school+3 yrs IM residency+2 yrs Hem/Onc fellowship) that anything you pick up within the next 2-3 yrs will barely play any role on how well you do in med school, residency and finally your fellowship.

As an engineering major, you have a very solid GPA - maintain it! Also you will have to do well on the MCAT. You will need to get all the other pre-reqs and ECs that trad applicants have. Take the time you have to do some volunteering and shadowing. Good luck.

If at the end you choose to go into the biomaterials field there's nothing wrong with that. I am trying to stress to you that 'time' should not be a major deterrent to your decision to pursue medicine because in all honesty you won't save any by going down this path. If this is too hard to handle, your GPA will certainly get you some solid entry level jobs in industry. Overall take the time to decide if you really want this path and if you do work hard at the marathon.

 

[Moko]

I'm sensing a lot of doubt and uncertainty, which is completely normal and even healthy to have. The life of a physician vs. a researcher vs. a job in industry is quite different, but can be equally rewarding in different ways. Take some time to reflect upon what is most important to you and absolutely make sure that you want to pursue medicine by shadowing and volunteering first. Once you've decided though, you just need to take that leap of faith and work towards an acceptance. In terms of your chances, there's nothing you mentioned so far that would preclude you from being accepted to medical school. Keep up your grades, get a good MCAT score, LORs, and ECs.

Regardless of which path you choose, just keep in mind that it's never too late to switch either. Even if you pursued no other science pre-reqs in college, you can always take them after graduating as a post-bacc. So the doors are never truly closed. Many people matriculating to medical school nowadays have taken at least a year off to pursue other activities. Best of luck in your decisions.

 

[Panksy]

You have a solid GPA and still need to take the MCAT. That's fine, I'm...not understanding where the problem is. If it does require "extra" time it's hardly the end of the world. Sounds like you might also need some ECs (unless you're just not talking about them here), which an extra year would give you plenty of time to look into.

Are you just trying to decide whether you actually want to go to medical school or not? That's not really something a bunch of strangers can easily answer for you. Is there something besides academics that's inspiring doubt?

I do feel like I need some EC's, right out of HS I got my phlebotomoy license and worked two years at a research and development clinic while attending my CC mostly dealt with clinical researchers, lab techs and whatnot, the science and being a part of the general progress of people's health made it feel so fulfilling, and other than that I've been coaching kids at a park recreation center, but no shadowing experience.
And academics arn't inspiring doubt, its the fact that I haven't started studying for the mcat and juggling that studying with my engineering workload I worry I might be setting myself up for failure.

Don't pick up another minor. Take 3 yrs to finish the degree if needed. I was a ChE/Biochem in undergrad and the only thing that engineering taught me was how to handle an insane course load. The road to becoming an oncologist is so long (4 yrs med school+3 yrs IM residency+2 yrs Hem/Onc fellowship) that anything you pick up within the next 2-3 yrs will barely play any role on how well you do in med school, residency and finally your fellowship.

As an engineering major, you have a very solid GPA - maintain it! Also you will have to do well on the MCAT. You will need to get all the other pre-reqs and ECs that trad applicants have. Take the time you have to do some volunteering and shadowing. Good luck.

If at the end you choose to go into the biomaterials field there's nothing wrong with that. I am trying to stress to you that 'time' should not be a major deterrent to your decision to pursue medicine because in all honesty you won't save any by going down this path. If this is too hard to handle, your GPA will certainly get you some solid entry level jobs in industry. Overall take the time to decide if you really want this path and if you do work hard at the marathon.

Thanks, your input as to not pick up another minor is calming. Its extra courses, and if I just focus on the Bio, mcat studying and some hospital volunteering I think that would reflect more on a resume than a double minor if I do decide to go into biomaterials. This really helped.

I'm sensing a lot of doubt and uncertainty, which is completely normal and even healthy to have. The life of a physician vs. a researcher vs. a job in industry is quite different, but can be equally rewarding in different ways. Take some time to reflect upon what is most important to you and absolutely make sure that you want to pursue medicine by shadowing and volunteering first. Once you've decided though, you just need to take that leap of faith and work towards an acceptance. In terms of your chances, there's nothing you mentioned so far that would preclude you from being accepted to medical school. Keep up your grades, get a good MCAT score, LORs, and ECs.

Regardless of which path you choose, just keep in mind that it's never too late to switch either. Even if you pursued no other science pre-reqs in college, you can always take them after graduating as a post-bacc. So the doors are never truly closed. Many people matriculating to medical school nowadays have taken at least a year off to pursue other activities. Best of luck in your decisions.

That's sort of the stress I'm facing with the decision, is that I might be shutting some doors, and in the perspective of the long term, It never is. Thanks for your support, means a lot to me right now.

 

[Goro]

Get into medical school first, and then worry about your specialty, especially one that highly competitive.

Actually, you should be volunteering with patients and shadowing doctors (if you haven't done this already) to see if Medicine is really for you.

This process is a marathon, not a sprint. Med schools aren't going anywhere.

I'd always had my mind set on becoming an Oncologist, and I can't help but feel I'm getting father and farther from my goal.

I'm a transfer student to an engineering school currently pursuing chemical engineering with a minor in materials engineering. I chose chemical engineering in case the mcat didn't work out (I was never a good test taker, SAT during HS was 1880) and if I wouldnt be accepted to medical school, I would have a good degree to fall back on, and hopefully tackle the oncological field as an engineer.

I transferred from a CC with a 3.65 and my first two quarters have been 4.0

Here's where I stand, I have 2 years left to graduate and I have all the Pre-Med requirements except for a year of biology.
I currently have declared a Chemical Engineering BS, with a minor in Materials Engineering.

If I want to give it a shot at the MCAT and Medschool applications, I need to take a year of Bio and begin studying for the mcat.
My other alternative, is double minor in Microbiology, and graduate and try and make my impact on the oncological field outside of being by the patient's side and leave my medical school goals behind, so the minor would allow me to place my foot in the door of a biomedical industry, whereas I feel if I don't take the microbio minor, I'll be so far off if I don't get accepted to medical school.

Not sure what to do and could use some support or advice on the issue.