Computer Science vs Mechanical Engineering

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Klay10

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I'm going to be a freshman in the fall. I've already decided that I'm going to be a non-trad when I apply to medical schools and that I will get a "backup" degree in something involved in engineering. I'm stuck deciding between computer science and mechanical engineering. Throughout high school I thought I had it figured out that I was going to be a mechanical engineering. But right after I graduated I had a lot of people in real life, from reddit, from sdn, and other places tell me to consider computer science instead. I'm good with computers, I'm good at science and math, and I could see myself having a fun time with coding. I've noticed starting salary medians tend to be roughly equivalent for CS and ME as well. I've had people tell me there is way more opportunity and potential in employment, business, industry application, and projected growth in computer science. Wondering if there are any other non trads in both of these fields who can give me some guidance and their $.02.

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Ya might wanna not double post threads. They usually close one of them so just keep it in the NonTrad.
 
I'm confused (and I'm pretty sure a lot of schools to be as well) as to why you even want to go into medicine??
 
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I've had people tell me there is way more opportunity and potential in employment, business, industry application, and projected growth in computer science.

Don't go for medical school if you're talented at and see yourself excelling in another field.
 
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Don't go for medical school if you're talented at and see yourself excelling in another field.
Usually good med students and probably physicians have multiple talents...you have to contribute a skill to the team.

People who are "good" med school candidates also are fairly intelligent and naturally talented at many things...don't see why that should exclude someone from medicine.
 
I'm going to be a freshman in the fall. I've already decided that I'm going to be a non-trad when I apply to medical schools and that I will get a "backup" degree in something involved in engineering. I'm stuck deciding between computer science and mechanical engineering. Throughout high school I thought I had it figured out that I was going to be a mechanical engineering. But right after I graduated I had a lot of people in real life, from reddit, from sdn, and other places tell me to consider computer science instead. I'm good with computers, I'm good at science and math, and I could see myself having a fun time with coding. I've noticed starting salary medians tend to be roughly equivalent for CS and ME as well. I've had people tell me there is way more opportunity and potential in employment, business, industry application, and projected growth in computer science. Wondering if there are any other non trads in both of these fields who can give me some guidance and their $.02.
Looking at a backup isn't bad, but it is also indicative that you need to do a lot of shadowing/volunteering to solidify your decision to do med.

Engineering in general is an overlooked field for med people. I was in ChemE for 3 years before switching to biochem (I wasn't interested in plant design, as it turns out...), but the general training I got in my first two/three years has been incredibly important for me being able to quickly assess the "practicality" of situations. Thinking like an engineer could definitely be a plus as a physician.

But yeah. You will have to find a way to cram in the bio stuff and be interested in it still AND do well. I suggest compSci because there are often Bio options built in quite well to programs. MechE will eat your soul. Sorry. Not the best choice for med school- it is SO far separated usually from sciences. CompSci is not.
 
I'm going to be a freshman in the fall. I've already decided that I'm going to be a non-trad when I apply to medical schools and that I will get a "backup" degree in something involved in engineering. I'm stuck deciding between computer science and mechanical engineering. Throughout high school I thought I had it figured out that I was going to be a mechanical engineering. But right after I graduated I had a lot of people in real life, from reddit, from sdn, and other places tell me to consider computer science instead. I'm good with computers, I'm good at science and math, and I could see myself having a fun time with coding. I've noticed starting salary medians tend to be roughly equivalent for CS and ME as well. I've had people tell me there is way more opportunity and potential in employment, business, industry application, and projected growth in computer science. Wondering if there are any other non trads in both of these fields who can give me some guidance and their $.02.

My roommate double majored in those, no premed though. CS has more real world applications if you do not go the engineering route.
 
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Usually good med students and probably physicians have multiple talents...you have to contribute a skill to the team.

People who are "good" med school candidates also are fairly intelligent and naturally talented at many things...don't see why that should exclude someone from medicine.

It's common knowledge that medical students have multiple skills; this was probably what made them competitive applicants to begin with. In fact, it's difficult to find an individual with interests tailored only to their occupation.

But there is a difference between talents you pursue as hobbies and talents you choose to shape into a future career. OP should pursue medicine if s/he is passionate about medicine (which is where volunteering and shadowing come in). If there is another field that is just as rewarding and more appealing, there's nothing wrong with chasing that field instead. Hence the benefit of a back-up major (though as you emphasized, it will be a difficult path).
 
Come back in a couple years if you still have interest in med school.
 
Looking at a backup isn't bad, but it is also indicative that you need to do a lot of shadowing/volunteering to solidify your decision to do med.

But yeah. You will have to find a way to cram in the bio stuff and be interested in it still AND do well. I suggest compSci because there are often Bio options built in quite well to programs. MechE will eat your soul. Sorry. Not the best choice for med school- it is SO far separated usually from sciences. CompSci is not.

What Bio options are normally available for Compsci majors?

Come back in a couple years if you still have interest in med school.

Wouldn't that be an awful way to go about it? Shouldn't I be building my application now and filling it with experiences, pre reqs, and shadowing instead of just sitting on the idea for a couple years? I want to be a competitive candidate if and when the time comes.
 
CS has more real world applications if you do not go the engineering route.

What exactly do you mean by this? Are you saying if I choose not to do Mechanical Engineering then CS is still a viable path? Or are you saying that CS is just better/has more opportunity?
 
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What Bio options are normally available for Compsci majors?



Wouldn't that be an awful way to go about it? Shouldn't I be building my application now and filling it with experiences, pre reqs, and shadowing instead of just sitting on the idea for a couple years? I want to be a competitive candidate if and when the time comes.

The problem with your options is that you have to take all of your pre-reqs in addition to your core engineering classes. As of now, the only overlapping courses are calc and physics. It's going to take a great deal of coordination to schedule your core major classes with the additional sciences and labs. I say come back because to be honest, I don't see you being able to go through this path and being highly successful. I flirted with bioengineering, but when your GPA is dropping because of diff eq and multi variable calc, you will most likely seek the "easy" way out.

Remember, you need a to get a high GPA, do well on the MCAT, and be able to demonstrate interest in medicine. All of this requires time. Time, which you most likely won't have should you go the Comp Sci/Pre Med route.
 
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What exactly do you mean by this? Are you saying if I choose not to do Mechanical Engineering then CS is still a viable path? Or are you saying that CS is just better/has more opportunity?
I just mean that if you're a doctor, you're far more likely to have a computer on which you can write your own code/scripts/whatever, than you are mechanical lathes/welding tools/etc. You can still utilize the CS part of your education much easier and more efficiently than you could ME.
 
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The problem with your options is that you have to take all of your pre-reqs in addition to your core engineering classes. As of now, the only overlapping courses are calc and physics. It's going to take a great deal of coordination to schedule your core major classes with the additional sciences and labs. I say come back because to be honest, I don't see you being able to go through this path and being highly successful. I flirted with bioengineering, but when your GPA is dropping because of diff eq and multi variable calc, you will most likely seek the "easy" way out.

Remember, you need a to get a high GPA, do well on the MCAT, and be able to demonstrate interest in medicine. All of this requires time. Time, which you most likely won't have should you go the Comp Sci/Pre Med route.

So were you an engineering student at first and then decided to go the traditional route?
 
I just mean that if you're a doctor, you're far more likely to have a computer on which you can write your own code/scripts/whatever, than you are mechanical lathes/welding tools/etc. You can still utilize the CS part of your education much easier and more efficiently than you could ME.

Gotcha, makes total sense. Thanks
 
So were you an engineering student at first and then decided to go the traditional route?
I changed my major several times. Like you, I wanted to keep an option for a career had I not gotten into med school, but now that degree is pretty much useless.
 
I changed my major several times. Like you, I wanted to keep an option for a career had I not gotten into med school, but now that degree is pretty much useless.

So wait, are you accepted? I'm just a little confused since your status is still pre medical. Is the degree "useless" because you are now accepted and on the track to be a doctor or because of other factors?
 
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Yeah I will be matriculating next month and yes, it is now useless since I will be in medical school.
 
I'm going to be a freshman in the fall. I've already decided that I'm going to be a non-trad when I apply to medical schools and that I will get a "backup" degree in something involved in engineering. I'm stuck deciding between computer science and mechanical engineering. Throughout high school I thought I had it figured out that I was going to be a mechanical engineering. But right after I graduated I had a lot of people in real life, from reddit, from sdn, and other places tell me to consider computer science instead. I'm good with computers, I'm good at science and math, and I could see myself having a fun time with coding. I've noticed starting salary medians tend to be roughly equivalent for CS and ME as well. I've had people tell me there is way more opportunity and potential in employment, business, industry application, and projected growth in computer science. Wondering if there are any other non trads in both of these fields who can give me some guidance and their $.02.

Go with CS. Courseload is much easier, and has much more straightforward applications in medicine.
 
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Mechanical Engineering has wide applications in medicine too (Say medical device development). I suggest you take intro level CS and CAD design as freshman and see which one do you like more. (From an engineering student w/ computational-focused BME and ME majors)
 
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We'll see. I did not accept their Middletown scholarship. You can PM me.
 
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