Engineer to Medicine?

[scottjlee333]

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[DrMidlife]

if any engineers or any other career decided to switch to medicine, how did you know this is what you really wanted...volunteer @ hospitals and shadow physicians

Volunteering in hospitals and shadowing physicians. Exactly. Do those before you lengthen your list of things to do to figure it out.

In particular, shadowing older physicians who are close to retirement, and getting them to go off on how much medicine has changed, was by far the most useful thing I did to get my brain around what I was getting into after 15 years in engineering.

If you're in Seattle or Everett, the Harborview ER is where it's at. There's a lot of lead time before they let you in, so apply now for fall. Find something else in the meantime, such as a private hospital closer to home. All you have to do is find the volunteering page on any hospital website. Once you're in, the other premeds will fill you in on other things you can do.

It was worth it to me to start reading the health pages on WSJ/NYT every day. It takes years to get up to speed on healthcare economics and politics.

Best of luck to you.

 

[scottjlee333]

Duly noted, thanks for the advice DrMidLife.

I actually currently work in Long Beach, California. But do occasionally go up to Seattle to meet with some of my co-workers. Anyways, ill definitely take a look into hospitals nearby to see if I can volunteer there.

Thank you.

 

[jatt12]

Working as a research assistant would be nice on resume as well.

 

[xxx2012]

Engineering and then medical, wow.

Medical Science could probably use you. The joint degrees in a research career could land you some serious publications and tenure somewhere I'm sure.

 

[jatt12]

Hi guys,

I graduated from UCLA in Civil Engineering in June 2011. Have been working for Boeing as a Wing Stress Analyst for about 7-8 months. This job is actually quite challenging, and working @ Boeing is such a great way to begin a career as an engineer. I like the people here, the work is great. However, at the end of the day, it is a 7-4 cubicle work environment. Im not sure if i can see myself doing this for the rest of my life. I like my job, but dont love it, it is essentially a grind everyday. My first love was in medicine, I actually was taking Prerequisites for medical school while finishing off my engineering degree. My overall GPA is a 3.55, my sGPA varies from 3.3-3.5 depending on what engineering courses I can consider as a BCMP course. While I still have a couple of more prerequisites to take, if I can get A's in most of them, my calculated sGPA can come out to be somewhere between 3.6-3.7. Anyways, the main purpose of this thread is such that if any engineers or any other career decided to switch to medicine, how did you know this is what you really wanted? I dont see myself doing anything else other than engineering or medicine. Ive done a lot of research already and I know i must volunteer @ hospitals and shadow physicians to see if this is something that really suits me. Ive talked to some friends who are in medical school right now and gave me a lot of advice as well, but any stories and experiences from nontrads like you guys would truly help me out.

Thank you.

I had similar experience, only difference is you work or Boeing, and I use to fly Boeing for an airline. I would recommend doing volunteer research assistant work at preferably hospital which has medical school program. Trust me it will work just fine as you will get to know staff as well get good insight of what goes in hospital. I worked as volunteer research assistant in ER department for 1 year, I learnt a lot and got very strong LoR's from Physician, who apparently knew one of the Assistant dean who interviewed me in medical school. Good luck

 

[vc7777]

Not to be harsh, but allow me to play devil's advocate:

You have literally just graduated, are basically at the level of "trainable" as a wet-behind-the-ears newbie engineer. You have not seriously considered other jobs (let alone careers) in engineering.

If this job is terrible, you need to quit and find another. I worked for a Fortune 50 (not 500) took a large pay and benefit cut to leave that job and go back to medical research.

If you were to come to an interview and give the excuse that you hated your one job full time job not even a full year into it I don't think it would reflect well on you. I would question whether you seriously thought through what it means to work as a physician OR an engineer. I would wonder how you would handle the delayed the gratification of medical training. Would you change your mind and drop out?

Besides all of this, you owe it to yourself to give you're current profession a fair try. We usually advise people to do anything else instead of medicine, unless they truly cannot see themselves doing anything else.

You want to be closer to medicine? Sure you can volunteer. But in reality, you are well positioned to take that jump right now and go into bio-medical engineering. Especially considering your location and educational background. Will it be easy? Of course not. But it is a lot less extreme than s switching to medicine.

Sent from my phone

 

[aerodoc]

I was an aero engineer before coming to med school too (for a smaller aircraft manufacturer). I worked a little bit longer than you did before deciding to switch, but I had about the same sentiment when I decided to pursue medicine. By the time you are ready to apply, if you choose to continue down that path, you will have more perspective on your work life as an engineer. I would advise you to do some volunteering at the hospital as others have mentioned to get a better idea of what a doctor does, but also look for some community volunteering options as well if you have time, something that you are really passionate about.

If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

 

[pietachok]

Not to be harsh, but allow me to play devil's advocate:

You have literally just graduated, are basically at the level of "trainable" as a wet-behind-the-ears newbie engineer. You have not seriously considered other jobs (let alone careers) in engineering.
...

If you were to come to an interview and give the excuse that you hated your one job full time job not even a full year into it I don't think it would reflect well on you. I would question whether you seriously thought through what it means to work as a physician OR an engineer. I would wonder how you would handle the delayed the gratification of medical training. Would you change your mind and drop out?

Besides all of this, you owe it to yourself to give you're current profession a fair try. We usually advise people to do anything else instead of medicine, unless they truly cannot see themselves doing anything else.

You want to be closer to medicine? Sure you can volunteer. But in reality, you are well positioned to take that jump right now and go into bio-medical engineering. Especially considering your location and educational background. Will it be easy? Of course not. But it is a lot less extreme than s switching to medicine.

Sent from my phone

I find the above response kind of insulting. It suggests that the OP isn't sufficiently in tune with himself to know whether or not he can be happy in his field. What's to say his exposure to engineering hasn't been "a fair try." I'm sure he's had discussions about career options beyond his cubicle. People enter med school on the basis of fewer hours of medical experience than this person has worked. If it's enough time to know you want to do something, it's also enough to know you hate a field of work. Hell, I never had to even be an accountant to know that's not for me.

I am a former Civil Engineer. I had a similar, immediate repulsion from engineering when I began working. I didn't even work a year. I didn't need to try other jobs, because talking to my engineering colleagues, prior instructors, and superiors was more than enough to verify that I was not going to be happy in the field.

The fact is that civil engineering education is very different from engineering practice. It is possible (and common) to like one and not the other. Anticipating whether you like the day-to-day profession of an engineer based on your undergrad experience is like using Intro Bio to determine whether or not you want to be a doctor -- it's a woefully inadequate guide. I fell in love with engineering for all the facets of problem solving. But problem solving is not nearly as satisfying once a structure is delegated into pieces such that you're working on individual structural members without feeling invested in the greater context. It's kind of like treating a patient without getting to meet him/her as a person...it just can't feel the same, and for some people that feeling is what gives the satisfaction that makes the endeavor career-worthy. (and, OP, if you need proof you're not alone, though most of us enjoyed studying it, only 25% of the students I graduated with are practicing civil engineering a decade later).

I think the thought processes of engineering and diagnostic process are very similar. I can see why the same person would be drawn to both. I was generally received positively in interviews when I discussed my choice to change fields & my motivation. Nobody ever questioned how quickly I abandoned the field.

And who cares if the OP is in a position to more easily go into BioMed engineering? Non-trads who were english teachers were more poised to teach bio & health. Those who were artists don't settle for being a medical illustrator. If you're grossly unhappy in a field, it's all the more reason to take a larger step away from it. If you're slightly unhappy, then maybe that smaller shift is right. Maybe when he shadows, he'll realize he was crazy for thinking he'd like medicine. But maybe he'll feel like there's nothing other than medicine he could be happy doing. Some people have much less medical exposure than others, such that the attraction to medicine is not obvious earlier in life....and they can still be great doctors, even though they didn't have their career path mapped out by grade school.

ScottJLee33:
As others have said, if you're not actually sure if medicine is the right path, go shadow & volunteer in clinical settings. Feel free to PM me.

 

[LoLCareerGoals]

I'd say it varies, but after 5+ years as an engineer I remember things do change after 1.5 years and then (I am told) again in a major way after 6. Yes you are a monkey now, but if you apply yourself you will gain responsibility. Now on the other hand if you see your superiors and see what they do and still think meh this is lame. By all means quit away.

 

[dmf2682]

I'd say it varies, but after 5+ years as an engineer I remember things do change after 1.5 years and then (I am told) again in a major way after 6. Yes you are a monkey now, but if you apply yourself you will gain responsibility. Now on the other hand if you see your superiors and see what they do and still think meh this is lame. By all means quit away.

Sounds about right. I remember thinking of it as a grind for the first year, but I got excited when they gave me some responsibility. It's kind of cool to think about how an engine part you designed is flying on a plane somewhere. Ultimately, with time, you have to ask yourself if that's what does it for you.

I'd agree with vc you should try it out for a little while volunteering, shadowing and getting set for your mcat. And keep an open mind too.

 

[EE12BMD]

Sounds about right. I remember thinking of it as a grind for the first year, but I got excited when they gave me some responsibility. It's kind of cool to think about how an engine part you designed is flying on a plane somewhere. Ultimately, with time, you have to ask yourself if that's what does it for you.

I'd agree with vc you should try it out for a little while volunteering, shadowing and getting set for your mcat. And keep an open mind too.

I agree with these guys as well...first 2 years was crappy for me.....Then it got a hell of a lot better.....

 

[pietachok]

Sounds about right. I remember thinking of it as a grind for the first year, but I got excited when they gave me some responsibility. It's kind of cool to think about how an engine part you designed is flying on a plane somewhere. Ultimately, with time, you have to ask yourself if that's what does it for you.

I'd agree with vc you should try it out for a little while volunteering, shadowing and getting set for your mcat. And keep an open mind too.

It does change, but how it changes is not a secret--it's easy to look around & talk to people & find out whether those changes will be enough to change your feelings about the career. I wouldn't quit & go jobless without a plan, but there's no reason to stay if you know you're going to continue to hate every day of it. The majority of people work in jobs that have nothing to do with their undergraduate degree....why should this fellow feel like he's letting himself down by doing that? I was 1000x happier quitting my engineering job & working in a math-centered job for the next few years. An engineering undergrad degree leaves you qualified to do so many more jobs than most degrees. I still think it's foolish to encourage a kid that he's got to stick to just the one obvious path. I can't think of another degree where you'd tell a kid he owed it to himself to stick to that field even if he could tell he didn't like it.

It may be appropriate advice for someone who was just whining about his engineering job, but the kid came here for advice how to figure out if medicine is a good fit. It's ridiculous to basically tell him to shove it...I'm sure he considered that option, it doesn't answer his question, it's unnecessarily disheartening/discouraging, & odd from a group of people who have all decided they weren't happiest in their career.

 

[scottjlee333]

Hey guys,

I truly thank you for all of your responses.

I understand where both sides are coming from, especially vc777's side where I am just 7-8 months into my engineering career working at one of the most Prestigious and well known aerospace companies in the world! I should feel super fortunate and blessed to be where I am right now, and I am! I thank God everyday for that. And let it be known that I am no one in hell planning to quit my job abruptly just to pursue medicine. I plan to stay at this company for 2 years (im 8 months into it so far), but while these 2 years go by, I will be preparing for the MCATs while also volunteering/shadowing physicians to really see if medicine is for me. Trust me, ive done sooooo much research and asked advice from many many people, ranging from doctors to friends that are in medical school right now, and im not an idiot. Im not going to just go for it blindly, without having a plan. First off let me just let you guys know, that Im working at the most prestigious aerospace company in the world, working on the most IMPORTANT part of the aircraft and Ive essentially am currently contributing as much work as my co-workers who have put 20-30 years @ the company. I dont mean to sound cocky or be bragging about any of this, but the point im trying to make is that if Im at the one of the most top echelon aerospace companies and working on the most important part of the aircraft, and yet I am still not satisfied, how does it get any better for me? Secondly, EVERY one of my co-workers, I sit in a cubicle with about 6 co-workers in the same aisle, and EVERY one of them told me to pursue medicine and not stay with this company. They told me Im better off being a doctor then staying here...they all told me if they could go back in time they would have changed careers, (some said they would have pursued business, some said they would have pursued medicine, etc.., they just told me to go for it). And trust me, I got close with all of my cubicle mates, and they are being sincere and truthful. The life of an engineer is a grind, and in no way am i saying that a doctor's life is any different, hell, it might even be WORSE! But only an engineer that worked in the industry truly understands what I mean. Basically, its not fulfilling in any way....you just go about your assignments, you complete them, and you move on to the next one, and it gets very repetitive. Anyways I feel like I am ranting right now, but I just want to point out that I am still soul searching... I am still fairly young (just turned 23 last month), so I know I still have time to decide my future path. First and foremost, I really want God's blessing on whatever path he wants me to take. If i am Certain he wants me to pursue medicine I will go with that, but in no way will I be quitting my job. My basic plan is to work for the company because they are paying me, and in no way am I trying to freeload off of them. When I work, I work, and I will give it 100% to my company in whatever I do. But when I get off work, I will be hitting my chemistry/biology/TBR books to prepare for the MCAT. Work from 7-4, Study after work from 4-9, study on the Weekends all day, That will be my life for the next 1-2 years. And once I feel like I am ready for the MCAT, I will take it, and if I were to get a high score (shooting for a 35+), then I feel like I am ready to put all my chips in the middle, and go for medical school (meaning I would most likely quit my current job). Ive done a lot of research and Really am pursuing to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, I know I am shooting for the stars, But I know my abilities and I know I can make the necessary sacrifices to make it. But we will see, I can talk the talk, but can i Really walk the walk...ill keep you guys updated! Thanks again everybody, God bless.

 

[2old4med]

Go for it. If you can work and study in off hours, then you don't have much to lose except your free time. If you decide you don't want to do medicine you'll still have your engineering career. It is your life, live it your way. I wish you the best of luck!

 

[dmf2682]

Op you made me smile.

Good luck with everything, Boeing is a good company- I did an internship there once upon a time. Stay proud of your job, but lift your head every now and again and enjoy yourself. And don't burn out. Find hobbies. Meet ladies. Have at it.