do med schools favor engineering students?

[slatermd]

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If they would have just gone with the semicolon, this would have been some kind of idiot triple word score.

lulz.

I personally think that people who consistently leverage the triple word score to win at scabble will make the finest doctors; their ability to think long-term probably means they are better suited for pediatrics than trauma surgery.

Ah the semicolon. How I <3 thee.

 

[once]

Schools do favor engineering majors SLIGHTLY in one way or another. Either they are directly impressed by the rigor of the major or they observe that you have gained valuable skills from the major it does help I'd say.

If you're thinking of changing to engineering just to impress admissions it is definitely not worth the extra effort. Problem sets where I'm spending 7-8 hours per question are the norm and at times it really isn't fun. It is intellectually rewarding, though, and my work ethic is pretty kickass so hopefully that will shine in my interviews eventually.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Schools do favor engineering majors SLIGHTLY in one way or another. Either they are directly impressed by the rigor of the major or they observe that you have gained valuable skills from the major it does help I'd say.

If you're thinking of changing to engineering just to impress admissions it is definitely not worth the extra effort. Problem sets where I'm spending 7-8 hours per question are the norm and at times it really isn't fun. It is intellectually rewarding, though, and my work ethic is pretty kickass so hopefully that will shine in my interviews eventually.

Once! Where the f have you been hiding? And as always, you have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[Musclemass]

If they would have just gone with the semicolon, this would have been some kind of idiot triple word score.

Yes! It also would have been sweet if he had used the word "since" instead of the period, just before "family".

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

Once! Where the f have you been hiding? And as always, you have no idea what you are talking about.

This made me literally laugh out loud. I know what LOL means; this was more of a LLOL, but still, it was worthy of spelling out.

Semicolon!

 

[slatermd]

This made me literally laugh out loud. I know what LOL means; this was more of a LLOL, but still, it was worthy of spelling out.

Semicolon!

This made me quietly chuckle.

 

[getdown]

Unfortunately, it seems like ADCOMs agree with you. To medical schools your GPA is basically your GPA, whether you majored in ChemE or Communications. Thes problems with this philosophy are:

1) People do change majors. Premeds are forced to seek out classes and degrees with the highest GPAs rather than actually challenging themselves. This makes the concept of premedicine as a necessary prerequisite to medical school even more asanine than it needs to be.

2) It biases the system against people who chose medicine late in their undergraduate career. You can't game a game if you don't even know you're playing. Isn't the entire point of premedicine (vs. starting medical school straight out of HS, like in most other countries) that people need some time to figure out what they want to do?

3) It's yet another factor that biases the system towards the rich. It's easy to say 'change your major' if you have no undergraduate debt to pay back or if you have 100% confidence that you are ultimately going to medical school. However a lot of people need to pick a major that leads to some kind of a real income stream in case they don't end up a doctor (which most applicants won't). The problem is that majors that pay tend to have low GPAs. That leaves poorer applicans choosing between risking their chance at medical school and rolling the dice with their finances.



Be grateful this is the way your school handles it, it sounds like they at least built some mild grade inflation into the system. My school only had about 1/4th of students make it through because they required a 2.0. They only graduated a few people with above a 3.0. The kind of GPAs that are considered standard for medical school (>3.6) would make you the absolute top student in the class.

As much as I do agree with some of your points, I would like to ask how making an exclusion criteria for engineering majors would make it any different than saying "I went to Caltech/UofChicago/insert other grade depression school and I want you to take that into account when considering my GPA"? I feel that once we start making special conditions for applicants everyone with a special circumstance will be yelling and howling about how some X condition in their application should be considered special. I mean, I don't want to take this into a whole area that's been rehashed multiple times, but look at the URM debate. How vicious and vile the discussion on that is; at the idea of perceived benefits those individuals get ... and at least there's a justifiable reason for that policy. Look I'm not ****ting on engineering majors, my best friend is aeronautical and I know how brilliant and hard working those people are but it's a risk you accept when you decided to follow the path. Is it fair? Maybe not, but what part of life is?

 

[WuMedic]

Great post - you were able to convey that you don't have a clue what you're talking about, and you were almost able to do it in just one sentence.

If they would have just gone with the semicolon, this would have been some kind of idiot triple word score.

That was a pretty rough sentence to read! But all of the comments after it about that sentence made up for it! 🙂

 

[movax]

but it's a risk you accept when you decided to follow the path. Is it fair? Maybe not, but what part of life is?

Agreed. Picking engineering as a major without the slightest intent or plan of that being a viable career choice for yourself is *****ic. If you want to follow the traditional engineering pathway, that pathway accepts and recognizes the "lower" GPAs when it comes to grad school, and pays more attention to experience and research.

Personally, I just feel a bit extra smug on the inside when I remember I earned a good GPA with both engineering majors, plus a minor encompassing the standard pre-req requirements anyways. No need to rub it into anyone's face (or mention it), just remind yourself that you did a kick-ass job, end of story.

Now to go off the deep-end and discuss things we can't easily prove, I'd argue that engineering mindset and style of problem-solving is pretty helpful for medicine. Just have to remember that swapping around in parts in a person is generally frowned upon 😉

 

[gettheleadout]

You won't ever use organic chemistry in a Clinical setting either.😛

But organic is required for med school and fluid dynamics/advanced engineering concepts aren't (and don't say well neither is useful, the point is that med schools have decided orgo is a better test of intelligence/work ethic/whatever grades represent than engineering courses.)

 

[aSagacious]

I'm a bit confused as to why people are still posting legitimate answers on this thread Apparently they do not mind being Trick Trolled.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

I'm a bit confused as to why people are still posting legitimate answers on this thread Apparently they do not mind being Trick Trolled.

Ask, and ye shall receive...