Engineer to Pre-Med

[__AVI8R__]

Hello everyone,

I'm a former pre-med turned biomedical engineering student turned senior year mechanical engineering student who is now interested in becoming a pre-med yet again.

Here's my current issue. I have a 3.68 engineering GPA, and have interned at a major aerospace company that wants me to work for them eventually. I still enjoy this work, and for that reason, I'm planning on staying in school an extra year for a masters degree. But recently, I've found myself desiring the unique human element of medicine that engineering doesn't have. My work was certainly valuable from an engineering perspective, I see far greater value in working to directly save a person's life. I'm then reminded of my initial desire 4 years ago to become a doctor with the intent of leveraging the latest in technology and engineering.

That leaves me with some uncertainties. I still intend to finish that masters degree because it is only a year extra and even if I decided to stay an engineer, it will be helpful. At the same time, I intended take a year of biology with labs as a touchstone for my abilities to learn that sort of material. If I can get an A- or better, I will continue with pre-med studies. Else, I will continue as an engineer.

What do you folks think? Has anyone else been through something similar? What questions should I be asking myself before going further?

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[Goro]

Stick with it. If you bomb the MCAT or your med school interviews (or never get an II) you have a backup career.

 

[bears1992]

I am a mechanical engineer that took a year of prereqs after engineering school. It's really up to you if it's worth it. For me it was a combination of job outlook and desire to help people on a personal level.

 

[__AVI8R__]

Stick with it. If you bomb the MCAT or your med school interviews (or never get an II) you have a backup career.

Yep, that's what I've been thinking. I know other's have gone along this road but I'm kind of lacking in the compelling story department. Having to explain why I switched at this stage, and the fact that I've got a backup might be a bit tricky. While it's smart to have a backup, I'm concerned some adcom question my dedication. Well, they wouldn't be entirely wrong at this stage since I'm still uncertain about my path. Any pointers in that regard?

I'll probably do some volunteer ambulance work to see if the medical field is right for me.

 

[__AVI8R__]

I am a mechanical engineer that took a year of prereqs after engineering school. It's really up to you if it's worth it. For me it was a combination of job outlook and desire to help people on a personal level.

What do you mean by job outlook? Among the careers that probably won't ever go away anytime soon, I see engineering, and medical professionals near the top of the list.

 

[Goro]

Yep, that's what I've been thinking. I know other's have gone along this road but I'm kind of lacking in the compelling story department. Having to explain why I switched at this stage, and the fact that I've got a backup might be a bit tricky. While it's smart to have a backup, I'm concerned some adcom question my dedication. Well, they wouldn't be entirely wrong at this stage since I'm still uncertain about my path. Any pointers in that regard?

I'll probably do some volunteer ambulance work to see if the medical field is right for me.

"Why Medicine?" is a question you should be able to answer in your sleep.
If you haven't volunteered with patients, you need to do this, ASAP.
Ditto engaging in non-clinical volunteering.

The new MD school in IL that's targeting engineering majors seems right up your alley!

 

[Goro]

Note this thread, @
__AVI8R__

The new Carle-Illinois College of Medicine now has LCME Accreditation

 

[strider144]

Current med student, former engineer here. Get involved with volunteering and shadowing and make sure it suits you, but there are plenty of people who have made the transition from engineer to physician!

 

[__AVI8R__]

Also, surely it can't be a coincidence that the first two post on my thread have cat, and dog photos.

Note this thread, @
__AVI8R__

The new Carle-Illinois College of Medicine now has LCME Accreditation

Thanks for sharing. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm interested in. Unfortunately, I'm still at least a year away from being ready for that.

 

[bears1992]

What do you mean by job outlook? Among the careers that probably won't ever go away anytime soon, I see engineering, and medical professionals near the top of the list.

Physicians have much better job security than engineers. I have friends that I graduated with that are facing company wife layoffs. Doctors don't have to face mass layoffs like engineees.

 

[DocJanItor]

Physicians have much better job security than engineers. I have friends that I graduated with that are facing company wife layoffs. Doctors don't have to face mass layoffs like engineees.

It's nice that the company provides a wife for them, but really mean that they would fire the wife.

 

[bears1992]

It's nice that the company provides a wife for them, but really mean that they would fire the wife.

Hahaha. Oops.

 

[__AVI8R__]

How do adcoms look upon non-medical internship experience?

 

[bears1992]

How do adcoms look upon non-medical internship experience?

Ehhhh, probably doesn't mean a whole lot.

 

[Harvest Moon]

How do adcoms look upon non-medical internship experience?

Ehhhh, probably doesn't mean a whole lot.

This is not true. It depends on what you get out of the experience. For example, I used to deliver pizzas. That job taught me how to work things out with difficult customers, how to deal with an abusive boss, how to fix my car when it breaks down, etc. Every school I interviewed at brought it up during the interview. Clinical experiences are important, but it's what you learn from each experience that matters. You could have the most amazing clinical experience in the world, but if you didn't learn anything from it, it means nothing.

 

[bears1992]

This is not true. It depends on what you get out of the experience. For example, I used to deliver pizzas. That job taught me how to work things out with difficult customers, how to deal with an abusive boss, how to fix my car when it breaks down, etc. Every school I interviewed at brought it up during the interview. Clinical experiences are important, but it's what you learn from each experience that matters. You could have the most amazing clinical experience in the world, but if you didn't learn anything from it, it means nothing.

Well OP is talking about an activity he/she started recently. Goro has commented before that new activities are not worth updating adcoms with.

 

[Harvest Moon]

Well OP is talking about an activity he/she started recently.

In that case, you're right! I didn't read previous comments...

 

[__AVI8R__]

Well OP is talking about an activity he/she started recently. Goro has commented before that new activities are not worth updating adcoms with.

In that case, you're right! I didn't read previous comments...

My earlier comment was actually referring to an engineering internship I did last summer. Sorry. Should have clarified that.

I have at least two years (in senior year then need to take an extra year for pre-med pre-reqs) before an adcom will even be getting my application so I would like to use that time to get some medical related experience to test the waters. If the experience is significant enough, I would talk about it though.

 

[__AVI8R__]

This is not true. It depends on what you get out of the experience. For example, I used to deliver pizzas. That job taught me how to work things out with difficult customers, how to deal with an abusive boss, how to fix my car when it breaks down, etc. Every school I interviewed at brought it up during the interview. Clinical experiences are important, but it's what you learn from each experience that matters. You could have the most amazing clinical experience in the world, but if you didn't learn anything from it, it means nothing.

So the challenge is mostly effectively communicating all relevant experience. Well, I kind of expected that since I've interviewed for jobs before. I just wanted to verify that since adcoms may have their own quirks (not necessarily in a bad way) compared to engineering HR folks. Thanks

 

[DSM_302.0]

What Goro said. If you can show you want to be a doctor through volunteering, shadowing, clinical experiences, etc, no one will bat an eye at your transition to applying to medicine with an engineering background. You're not even 'non-trad' yet

 

[__AVI8R__]

What Goro said. If you can show you want to be a doctor through volunteering, shadowing, clinical experiences, etc, no one will bat an eye at your transition to applying to medicine with an engineering background. You're not even 'non-trad' yet

After reading through these forums, yeah, I kind of regret posting here instead of the general pre-med area. Woops

 

[DSM_302.0]

After reading through these forums, yeah, I kind of regret posting here instead of the general pre-med area. Woops

Hahaha yeah, come back here in a decade or two (or three or four). Jk you’re welcome here. My main point was you’re still super early in your life and career, so don’t be worried about adcoms questioning your intentions. You’re still figuring it out (and so are we). Good luck!

 

[__AVI8R__]

Hahaha yeah, come back here in a decade or two (or three or four). Jk you’re welcome here. My main point was you’re still super early in your life and career, so don’t be worried about adcoms questioning your intentions. You’re still figuring it out (and so are we). Good luck!

Thanks. Good luck to you as well.

 

[DBC03]

Fellow engineer transitioning to medicine here. I think the internship will give you plenty to talk about - especially when they ask you “why medicine?” You can talk about what you learned during the internship and how that taught you that you wanted to be more directly involved with people - personal relationships, etc. Good luck!


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[Modest_anteater]

Hello everyone,

I'm a former pre-med turned biomedical engineering student turned senior year mechanical engineering student who is now interested in becoming a pre-med yet again.

Here's my current issue. I have a 3.68 engineering GPA, and have interned at a major aerospace company that wants me to work for them eventually. I still enjoy this work, and for that reason, I'm planning on staying in school an extra year for a masters degree. But recently, I've found myself desiring the unique human element of medicine that engineering doesn't have. My work was certainly valuable from an engineering perspective, I see far greater value in working to directly save a person's life. I'm then reminded of my initial desire 4 years ago to become a doctor with the intent of leveraging the latest in technology and engineering.

That leaves me with some uncertainties. I still intend to finish that masters degree because it is only a year extra and even if I decided to stay an engineer, it will be helpful. At the same time, I intended take a year of biology with labs as a touchstone for my abilities to learn that sort of material. If I can get an A- or better, I will continue with pre-med studies. Else, I will continue as an engineer.

What do you folks think? Has anyone else been through something similar? What questions should I be asking myself before going further?

Try your best thats all i can say

 

[winterwarlock88]

I worked full time as an engineer for 5 years (and took ala carte premed courses at night, volunteered on weekends in ED) and now am an intern. So I have been there and done that =P. It's doable, adcoms are always interested in hearing people's different paths to medicine. Like what above posters suggested, shadow!