Chemistry or Chemical Engineering

[umnpremed]

I did PSEO at the University of Minnesota and am wondering whether I should major in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering. I like math and physics, so I think that I would be able to handle chemical engineering, however I feel that it may be harder to maintain a high grade and get in ECs and research. If I did Chemistry, I would also minor in Biochemistry, Biology, and Astrophysics, and would have more time for research and ECs. It would also be easier to keep my grade up. I feel that Chemical engineering may be a better degree just in case I choose not to pursue medical school later in my education. If I chose this, would the admissions officers look down on it because they think that I'm only in it for the money, and may not be dedicated to the medical field?

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[Astarael]

In the end, the only thing that matters about your major is how well you do in it. I can tell you that chem at the U of M is a reasonably easy major, and I've heard things that make me think Chem E is pretty difficult. Keep in mind that adding Chem E to an existing B.S. Chem is much easier than repairing 4 years of a GPA that has been affected by taking engineering classes.

Also, triple minoring is pointless. Unless you're doing those things just because you feel like it, don't do them-they won't get you anywhere with med school admissions.

 

[deleted357625]

major in chem

 

[hownowmauvecow]

Major in something that you are truly interested in. Sure ChemE may be hard, but if you really enjoy it then you will want to study it. But that being said you still need to do well especially since many schools will not take into account your major and how hard it may have been when looking at your GPA and comparing it with other applicants.

 

[BJJ]

you decide

 

[theseeker4]

you decide

This is not that useful if the OP is planning on going to medical school. If that is his/her ultimate goal, he/she is not seeking a career in Chem Eng or Chemistry, they are simply looking for a major they can have a high GPA in for admissions.

 

[bambam02]

<~~~engineering graduate with a minor in biology trying to get into medical school.

Keep in mind that you will have to take all the pre-requisits required for medical schools either way. Those classes on top of Engineering could lead to summer school or even an extra semester, so be careful.

Keep in mind there are plenty of places that hire chemists. Sure, engineering will give you a better "back up plan", aka a higher starting salary, but your gonna have to work harder for it.

Engineering majors typically have multiple pages of hand written homework every night on engineering paper using rulers to make sure you have straight lines. (think about the lady from happy gilmore who complains of her fingers hurting) Engineering classes often have perfect bell curves centered around a C average, and are smaller classes (Very hard to get in the top %). Also, you will have to spend much of yout time as an undergraduate doing engineering work which will not be related to the medical field.

I recall comparing my Bio major classes such as Biochemistry, and Cell Biology to my engineering classes like Thermodynamics (Engineering Thermo) and Dynamics. It was almost a joke how easy it was to get an A or B in the Bio classes due to a very thick curve. In contrast, I can remember the thermo teacher telling us "I will fail every last one of you, and if you dont like it, go talk to my boss." (This was right after our 2nd exam where the class average was somewhere in the 40's) and the dynamics instructor passing an exam back and telling us no one made an A because you all did not work hard enough.

Bottom line: The engineering major is more difficult to make the grades in. It's not impossible though (I did very well in the GPA field). It will prepare you for medical school better in my opinion because it makes you work harder as an undergraduate. You will go into medical school with a solid foundation of busting your balls. You will better know what its like to have no life.

The dean of my engineering college told me that the students who go to medical school from engineering typically go into cardiology or orthopedics. So its something to consider.

Are you really gonna take the easy way out because its easier?

 

[jm192]

Major in something that you are truly interested in. Sure ChemE may be hard, but if you really enjoy it then you will want to study it. But that being said you still need to do well especially since many schools will not take into account your major and how hard it may have been when looking at your GPA and comparing it with other applicants.

This! I heard it on my own application/interview tour, I heard it as a medical student working with admissions, no one cares what you majored in. A 4.0 in Chemistry>>>>>>>a 3.6 in Chemical engineering. I double majored with Bio/Chem, another guy at my undergrad only did Bio. Same MCAT, I had a GPA about 10 points lower, and he had an acceptance before I had an interview.

 

[JK47]

I am a former engineer (mechanical engineering, by far the most diverse and easiest to find jobs in) who took pre-med classes after graduating with an engineering degree. In my class there is a guy who did Chem E. My advice, do Chem E and do well in it. Make sure to knock out organic chem as part of your major, bio might be additional work. An engineering background is sometimes looked highly upon by adcom people, and if anything it will differentiate you from the masses of bio, chem, and biochem majors. Engineering might be harder, but whatever you do, do your best in it. Keep in mind the new Dairy Queen commercials, good isn't good enough.

 

[gettheleadout]

I am a former engineer (mechanical engineering, by far the most diverse and easiest to find jobs in) who took pre-med classes after graduating with an engineering degree. In my class there is a guy who did Chem E. My advice, do Chem E and do well in it. Make sure to knock out organic chem as part of your major, bio might be additional work. An engineering background is sometimes looked highly upon by adcom people, and if anything it will differentiate you from the masses of bio, chem, and biochem majors. Engineering might be harder, but whatever you do, do your best in it. Keep in mind the new Dairy Queen commercials, good isn't good enough.

If one is betting on a choice of major to help them stand out among other applicants, they shouldn't be betting at all.

 

[umnpremed]

Interesting responses. I feel that I would be really comfortable with either degree, however the amount of work involved with the chemical engineering degree is somewhat discouraging because I may not have enough time to be involved in research and volunteering.

 

[mauberley]

Interesting responses. I feel that I would be really comfortable with either degree, however the amount of work involved with the chemical engineering degree is somewhat discouraging because I may not have enough time to be involved in research and volunteering.

I feel like you have your answer, then. Go for the chemistry degree.

 

[V5RED]

<~~~engineering graduate with a minor in biology trying to get into medical school.

Keep in mind that you will have to take all the pre-requisits required for medical schools either way. Those classes on top of Engineering could lead to summer school or even an extra semester, so be careful.

Keep in mind there are plenty of places that hire chemists. Sure, engineering will give you a better "back up plan", aka a higher starting salary, but your gonna have to work harder for it.

Engineering majors typically have multiple pages of hand written homework every night on engineering paper using rulers to make sure you have straight lines. (think about the lady from happy gilmore who complains of her fingers hurting) Engineering classes often have perfect bell curves centered around a C average, and are smaller classes (Very hard to get in the top %). Also, you will have to spend much of yout time as an undergraduate doing engineering work which will not be related to the medical field.

I recall comparing my Bio major classes such as Biochemistry, and Cell Biology to my engineering classes like Thermodynamics (Engineering Thermo) and Dynamics. It was almost a joke how easy it was to get an A or B in the Bio classes due to a very thick curve. In contrast, I can remember the thermo teacher telling us "I will fail every last one of you, and if you dont like it, go talk to my boss." (This was right after our 2nd exam where the class average was somewhere in the 40's) and the dynamics instructor passing an exam back and telling us no one made an A because you all did not work hard enough.

Bottom line: The engineering major is more difficult to make the grades in. It's not impossible though (I did very well in the GPA field). It will prepare you for medical school better in my opinion because it makes you work harder as an undergraduate. You will go into medical school with a solid foundation of busting your balls. You will better know what its like to have no life.

The dean of my engineering college told me that the students who go to medical school from engineering typically go into cardiology or orthopedics. So its something to consider.

Are you really gonna take the easy way out because its easier?

Taking the harder road is often not the smarter choice.

If the person wants to get into medical school, then the easier degree is the smarter choice.

If someone wants to be an engineer, then focusing on an engineering degree is the smarter choice.

Going for the harder degree while getting in all the medical school prerequisites, EC's, and preparing for the MCAT is more likely to result in failure at both the goal of medical school and the harder degree.

Similar to that is the fact that I plan to go to Rochester(from Buffalo) this weekend to watch the UFC event with my brother. The easy way to get there is to drive, but I am in good enough shape to get there on foot. One of these options is clearly smarter.

 

[bama8]

I am currently majoring in chemical engineering and I strongly suggest majoring in chem e. Personally, I think and process information in an engineering way and that's what led me into it. Don't worry about the time demand, it will be tough but it's not impossible. I currently research ten hours a week and spend four to six hours a week volunteering, and my grades are still good. I took the MCAT last year and believed that I was more prepared for the MCAT as a whole than some of my friends who are biology and chemistry majors. However, you need to really think about what you enjoy and that will determine what to major in. Chemistry and Chem e aren't that different. Chem E just uses what you know from chemistry and applies it to real-life situations. What's great about chem e at my school is that they offer many classes that are medically based, such as tissue engineering, nano-medicine, and many professors who do research for the medical field. If I were you, I would talk to professors of both departments and tell them your plans and what you are interested in. They should be able to lead you in the right direction.

 

[jm192]

^

I have little to no doubt that someone with an engineering major learns to think and process information at a higher rate. And, maybe to some degree that shows up in an MCAT score. But, if you kill your GPA int he process of learning to think and process so well, you're out. That's the nature of the game. Is it messed up? Sure. But, if you want in, you've got to play.

 

[Whatyousay]

1. Take ChemE.
2. Sink GPA.
3. Give up on med school, go into real world.
4. Realize you hate what you're doing.
5. Go back to school.
6. Write compelling PS
7. Profit.

But engineering is awesome. And if your GPA survives, you'll be a better man (woman?) for it.

 

[common man]

they are BOTH very hard majors.

major in something that you really really enjoy. don't worry about "real life" applications - believe me - if the university deems it worthy enough to offer it a major - it's worthy. just pick something you enjoy and make sure you do really well on the 32 credits of core pre med requirements. if you major in something you enjoy, you'll do better (= better chance for med schoo, happier college life), you'll learn more, you'll get behind the material, and you'll learn to think critically, comprehensively, and in great detail - that's the big goal.

 

[bambam02]

Going for the harder degree while getting in all the medical school prerequisites, EC's, and preparing for the MCAT is more likely to result in failure at both the goal of medical school and the harder degree.

Similar to that is the fact that I plan to go to Rochester(from Buffalo) this weekend to watch the UFC event with my brother. The easy way to get there is to drive, but I am in good enough shape to get there on foot. One of these options is clearly smarter.

If I would get to Rochester on foot in the same amount of time... I would do it, and probably be able to run faster than you after the fact.
This reminds me of a quote: "I put my pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of you.... but once my pants are on.... I make gold records." 🙂

2 different worlds of thought

 

[NKChemEng]

My name is my answer to this question.

 

[flatearth22]

If you are dead set on going to med school - pick the major that you will get the highest GPA in.

If you would like to go to med school but also keep your options open - I'd probably lean towards ChemE

 

[NKChemEng]

If you are dead set on going to med school - pick the major that you will get the highest GPA in.

If you would like to go to med school but also keep your options open - I'd probably lean towards ChemE

I agree with the latter part, most definitely. Also, consider what you find more interesting. I transferred into Engineering from arts and sciences, where I would major in chemistry, because I discovered that engineering would bring me closer to the research that I was already doing in a biomedical engineering lab.

 

[Bmed]

Chem Eng is one of the most useful degrees you can get and adcoms know how difficult of a major it is. If you don't absolutely HAVE to attend an extremely competitive med school and would be fine going to a solid mid-tier school, I would risk it and just get the engineering degree. Not only will it be a more intellectually satisfying experience, but you have a great backup career and have the interesting option of exploring areas like drug design or manufacture as a physician.

Better yet, just get the Chemical Engineering degree with med school pre-reqs, work for a couple years after college getting great pay, enjoy life a little bit, and apply with an interesting non-trad story. If you are confident enough to get a decent GPA, this is the route I would personally take.

 

[Brooke3]

I majored in ChemE with no intention of going to med school (or grad school for that matter) and did decently. The classes are curved to a 2.8 or so, and I wound up with a 3.3 GPA (still above average). I choose ChemE because the job prospects are really good and you can make great money without any graduate school. I learned a ton and now am armed with a unique approach to problem solving.

Then enter Genentech. Oh biotech, why did you have to be 999999x more interesting than my three ChemE internships I had?! I returned to school after a 6 month co-op (full time paid internship) with a whole new view on my career and a new found motivation. I ended up getting ~3.7 that year and applied to grad school in Bioengineering.

Then enter UCSF. I went to get my master's in BioE from the joint program at UCSF and Berkeley. I had classes with physicians and really just fell in love with medicine and medical research. I got a 3.95 GPA (but who cares about grad school grades anyways) and am now considering applying to medical school.

Now that you have my history- do I regret choosing ChemE? Should I have choose something that I would've gotten higher grades more easily? That all depends on if I get in or not. Right now I'm wishing I had the higher grades because it'd feel more like a sure thing than a giant gamble. However, if I get in, I'll be happy I choose ChemE because I feel like I have such a great perspective on medical research and how to tackle some of the problems with it. Also, ChemE is tough and if anything, it makes everything else seem that much easier 🙂

 

[Bmed]

I majored in ChemE with no intention of going to med school (or grad school for that matter) and did decently. The classes are curved to a 2.8 or so, and I wound up with a 3.3 GPA (still above average). I choose ChemE because the job prospects are really good and you can make great money without any graduate school. I learned a ton and now am armed with a unique approach to problem solving.

Then enter Genentech. Oh biotech, why did you have to be 999999x more interesting than my three ChemE internships I had?! I returned to school after a 6 month co-op (full time paid internship) with a whole new view on my career and a new found motivation. I ended up getting ~3.7 that year and applied to grad school in Bioengineering.

Then enter UCSF. I went to get my master's in BioE from the joint program at UCSF and Berkeley. I had classes with physicians and really just fell in love with medicine and medical research. I got a 3.95 GPA (but who cares about grad school grades anyways) and am now considering applying to medical school.

Now that you have my history- do I regret choosing ChemE? Should I have choose something that I would've gotten higher grades more easily? That all depends on if I get in or not. Right now I'm wishing I had the higher grades because it'd feel more like a sure thing than a giant gamble. However, if I get in, I'll be happy I choose ChemE because I feel like I have such a great perspective on medical research and how to tackle some of the problems with it. Also, ChemE is tough and if anything, it makes everything else seem that much easier 🙂

You have a really interesting background and I'm sure a lot of top tier schools would be interested in you.

 

[Silverfalcon]

If you ever want to do research at medical school, go for Chem E.

Otherwise, just do Chem. The only reason I'm saying research for Chm E is that you can use some engineering ideas for medical research whereas titrations and taking derivatives without purposes (PChem) won't help you with cell culture work.