how bad is it to major in Biochem or Biomedical eng?

[vincikai]

how bad is it to major in Biochem or Biomedical eng? Would it hurt your chances applying for med school?

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[rup47]

only if you do not do well and have a low gpa because of it

 

[Hurricane95]

Um...what do you mean by bad?
The only drawback is that the courseload is typically considerably more difficult than a regular biology major, making it a bit harder to get A's and keep the GPA high (since schools tend to compare candidates on GPA regardless of their major, ie. numerically a bio major with a 4.0 is better off than a biomedical engineer with a 3.5). That's not much of a problem if you're smart and hard working though.

Aside from that it's not bad at all. Major in whatever you like and work hard, thats all that matters. I was applauded for being a biomedical engineer because the field is greatly expanding in our time and it gives you something interesting to talk about in your interviews if your interviewer is in the mood for small talk.

 

[MAC12383]

I think biomedical engineering is one of the best majors in terms of preparing you to go to med school and become a doctor. If you can still hold a decent gpa, it looks good.

 

[mjc48]

i did biomed at a tough engineering school and my gpa got beat to hell because of it. if you are dedicated to going to med school, i would avoid it. the core courses of engineering (upper level math, thermo, mass transfer, comp sci etc.) don't coincide with the core of premed, so you will constantly find yourself splitting time between the worlds and competing with people dedicated to one or the other.

not to mention, bio engineering at many schools is not a fully developed program at the undergrad level. there is still a lacking in defined curriculum, even at top 10 eng schools.

 

[Nexus777]

I think biomedical engineering is one of the best majors in terms of preparing you to go to med school and become a doctor. If you can still hold a decent gpa, it looks good.

Actually, biomedical engineering is not one of the best majors you should do as an undergraduate. It is an applied field, not a pure field, like mechanical, electrical, or even bioengineering - and school adcoms know this. Instead, it is an amalgam of different classes that doesn't give you a core understanding of any natural science applicatoin (physics mechanics/EM/biology). If you want the engineering, do a pure undergrad engineering field (EE,MechE,BioE), but not an applied field. Otherwise, do the natural science field (bio, chem, biochem). In fact, it is this line of reasoning that many top engineering schools do not have biomedical engineering as an undergrad major. I think MIT (I could be wrong) is one of those schools that is highly against undergrads majoring in biomedical engineering (not to be confused with bioengineering, which is a pure engineering field based on biology).

 

[geekOCD]

I'll disagree, somewhat. It depends on what your application is like - how strong you are, and how interesting you are. Sure, if you've got an amazing mcat, amazing gpa, and are a decent person, you'll get into great schools. But say you've got a 3.5/3.6, and a 30-32, and you did basic research for a year or two, no ECs that are really outstanding or interesting...now you've put yourself in a position where there's literally thousands and thousands of applicants *exactly* like you - and the BIOC/BME major will just reinforce that. I think being a non-science major gives you an edge (as long as you continue to do upper level science classes and do well in them), and unless you're REALLY interested in bioc/bme, why not take that edge? At best, being one of those majors is neutral, at worst, it hurts you. Why take the risk? Do something interesting, it's the last chance you'll really get.

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

I majored in biochem and it didn't hurt me at all, in fact , i think it helped me. But I studied my butt off to make A's in all my science classes. I had a harder time of it then my friends who were bio majors, but i really love biochem material so i worked hard for it.

i do'nt know about engineering. its such a different world then the "regular" sciences. i imagine biochem would be more useful when going into med school then bioengineering, but if that's what you're interested in, do it , just don't let it hurt your gpa if your ultimate goal is med school

 

[91946]

I did biochem in college. I didnt think it hurt that much, but from what i heard biomedical engineering might be a gpa killer. You have to take alot of additional engineering classes such as computer science and advance math class that might be difficult if that's not in your element.

 

[pokeytu]

biomedical engineering will be very difficult. Majoring in BME will prepare you extremely well for MCAT and med school, but that 3.8 that all the biology majors tend to have is next to impossible in engineering. If you can keep your GPA high it is extremely impressive. The only problem I have had is that at schools without BME some interviewers had to ask me what the courses were because the titles aren't the conventional names.

 

[Brainsucker]

GPA is important, but it's not everything. I had interviewers give me some very nice comments on the rigor of my schedule. I wouldn't major in biochem because it's boring--I say this as a biochem major (I took most of my electives in straight chem). The problem with biochem is that upper division classes involve tons of pathway memorization. (Yeah, this will help prep. you for the boards, but most of it is not medically relevant.) I have a classmate that has an MS in biochem and loved the pathways, but that's far from the norm.

As other posters have mentioned, BME can be pretty unorganized. Often though, in an unorganized major, you have the freedom to pick your own way, which offers lots of opportunities to take whatever you find interesting. EE is very cool, but also very hardcore. It's also probably not that useful as a doc. (Well, it'll help with electrophysiology a bit, I imagine.) MechE would be a great background for ortho, neurosurg., cardio thoracic, cards, and anything that involves moving parts or devices. (The physics understanding will also help with phys.)

 

[Law2Doc]

only if you do not do well and have a low gpa because of it

Agree -- schools won't really care. But you might want to consider that you are going to spend a lot of your undergrad taking courses that you are going to take again in med school (with somewhat different emphasis on detail). So you might not end up as well rounded because you are sort of halving your opportunities to take un-medically related courses. Just a thought.

 

[korndoctor]

ty

 

[Nexus777]

"MechE would be a great background for ortho, neurosurg., cardio thoracic, cards, and anything that involves moving parts or devices"

what specialty would a ChemE be a good background for? someone mentioned mechE, bioE, and EE as pure fields of engineering. is chemE also considered a pure field since it draws on chem obviously?

Yes, ChemE is a pure field, based on chemistry. ChemE is similar to BioE in its applications - nanoparticle design for drug delivery, tissue engineering, drug design to selectively target certain cells with high specificity (i.e. cancer). Clinical fields could incorporate anything - cards, heme/onc, neuro. Basically, any of the IM specialties. Remember, this is ONLY important if you are going to go into cutting edge research in your field. If you plan on just practicing, you won't use 95% of your engineering knowledge. The only thing you MAY use is your ability to rationalize between different explanations of what is going on in the body.

 

[Brainsucker]

Yes, ChemE is a pure field, based on chemistry. ChemE is similar to BioE in its applications - nanoparticle design for drug delivery, tissue engineering, drug design to selectively target certain cells with high specificity (i.e. cancer). Clinical fields could incorporate anything - cards, heme/onc, neuro. Basically, any of the IM specialties. Remember, this is ONLY important if you are going to go into cutting edge research in your field. If you plan on just practicing, you won't use 95% of your engineering knowledge. The only thing you MAY use is your ability to rationalize between different explanations of what is going on in the body.

I wouldn't major in ChemE. If you're really interested in chemistry, just do straight Chem. The problem with ChemE is that most of the skills you'll be learning have to do with what most chemical engineers do, so you'll be learning about building reactors, purification--a bunch of things like that. The nanoparticle design and such is cool, but not the core of most ChemE majors.

 

[Hurricane95]

What exactly is the difference between bioengineering and biomedical engineering? At my school biomedical engineering encompasses the topics that some of you guys have attributed to being biongineering or purely biology, like tissue engineering, drug delivery, etc. It's everything in one. Is BME at other schools mostly concerned with instrumentation, sensors and designing mechanical prostheses and devices? I'm confused.

As a matter of fact my senior design project and thesis in BME is in the field of drug delivery, specifically designing hydrogels to deliver epidermal growth factor to epidermal cells to aid in cutaneous wound healing.

I do agree however with the posters above though that these undergrad BME programs are still rather young and somewhat disorganized. My school's has only been around for like 12 years and the curriculum changes like every two years...it's a huge blend of electrical circuit courses, some mechanical classes, and of course all the premed requirements, with additional BME topic classes the last three semesters (biomechanics, biomaterials, etc.). As a matter of fact they are revamping the program tremendously for the freshmen and sophomores starting this fall. I do feel confident however that my program prepared me for medical school and in general for higher level thinking, so I'm happy I majored in it.

 

[windzilla]

you are completely screwed (excuse my french) major in comp-lit.

seriously as long as you love it, excel at it, and can complete all the other pre-med requirements, do some serious shadowing & volunteering in health care, you will do great.

that goes for just about any choice of major.

 

[SirTony76]

What exactly is the difference between bioengineering and biomedical engineering? At my school biomedical engineering encompasses the topics that some of you guys have attributed to being biongineering or purely biology, like tissue engineering, drug delivery, etc. It's everything in one. Is BME at other schools mostly concerned with instrumentation, sensors and designing mechanical prostheses and devices? I'm confused.

As a matter of fact my senior design project and thesis in BME is in the field of drug delivery, specifically designing hydrogels to deliver epidermal growth factor to epidermal cells to aid in cutaneous wound healing.

I do agree however with the posters above though that these undergrad BME programs are still rather young and somewhat disorganized. My school's has only been around for like 12 years and the curriculum changes like every two years...it's a huge blend of electrical circuit courses, some mechanical classes, and of course all the premed requirements, with additional BME topic classes the last three semesters (biomechanics, biomaterials, etc.). As a matter of fact they are revamping the program tremendously for the freshmen and sophomores starting this fall. I do feel confident however that my program prepared me for medical school and in general for higher level thinking, so I'm happy I majored in it.

I don't think there is a difference considering the ABET accreditation is the same for Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering. I looked up the cirriculum for MIT's Bioengineering degree. I am a Biomedical Engineering major (Marquette) and the cirriculum is similar.

MIT's cirriculum:

http://web.mit.edu/be/education/BErmWEB.pdf

Marquette:

http://www.marquette.edu/engineering/pages/AllYouNeed/Biomedical/Programs/Biomechanics.html

Also, I have heard (from some medical students who majored in engineering) that medical school is easier than engineering school. So I am sure that if you can handle the cirriculum you'll be fine with a biochem or biomed engineering degree for medical school.

TP

 

[iamnotconfused]

What do you all think of nursing or human services as premed major?

Thanks

 

[Zuerst]

I'm doing EE premed... it's ok I think. The only thing putting a dent in my GPA is the couple summer classes that I transfered from a local community college which I thought wouldn't affect my GPA. And it doesn't affect my GPA at my specific university, but for the medical application calculation, it does. 🙁

 

[juiceman311]

Actually, biomedical engineering is not one of the best majors you should do as an undergraduate. It is an applied field, not a pure field, like mechanical, electrical, or even bioengineering - and school adcoms know this. Instead, it is an amalgam of different classes that doesn't give you a core understanding of any natural science applicatoin (physics mechanics/EM/biology). If you want the engineering, do a pure undergrad engineering field (EE,MechE,BioE), but not an applied field. Otherwise, do the natural science field (bio, chem, biochem). In fact, it is this line of reasoning that many top engineering schools do not have biomedical engineering as an undergrad major. I think MIT (I could be wrong) is one of those schools that is highly against undergrads majoring in biomedical engineering (not to be confused with bioengineering, which is a pure engineering field based on biology).

What you just described is WHY BME is a great preparation for med school. It gives you a very diverse course load, and if you can excel in them you will be much better off than someone who stared into microscopes for 4 years. Going into the MCATs, I'd put my money on a BME major with a 3.4 GPA over a Biology major with a 3.8 GPA.

 

[relentless11]

I did undergrad as biochem, and 1.5 years post-bacc worth of BME with the intention of doing a masters in BME. First and foremost, as many have stated, its not the major that will make you look bad, but its the grades. A biosci major who has a 4.0 will beat a BME major who has a 3.3 if all things are equal (MCAT, EC, etc), regardless of school. One is expected to do well in your coursework regardless of how hard the major is considering we chose our major😉.

In regards to the actual coursework. I found both to be very beneficial, and what is most important is what you enjoy doing. At the time, I found biochemistry to be relatively tedious. Proteins, and biochemical reactions got tiring after 2-3 years. BME on the other hand was VERY challenging, however I was fascinated by its applications. Rather than purifying proteins, I was developing transdermal insulin patches. Rather than taking classes on molecular biology, I was learning how imaging systems worked.

BUT, the caveat is, my background in biochemistry allowed me to understand the biological concepts a lot faster and/or better than my pure engineering counterparts. Conversely, my counterparts were much more math savvy than I😉. I was never good with many anyway...haha. A lot of the current BME courses that I have seen are either overkill or waterdown in terms of what is on the MCAT. One can always take electives in either program, so ultimately it evens out. I got a 36 with only my biochemistry (plus electives) background. Without electives, BME would allow students to have a strong background in physics, gchem, and ochem. But we are all expected to have some amount of electives so I feel that it evens out in the end. Sadly, I have found all engineering programs to be quite challenging, and thus GPAs have suffered. Often times, some people may be good with the mathematical aspects of BME, but be deficient in the biological aspects of BME.


In conclusion, I found both to be fun, and enlightening even in clinical applications. My background in both biochem and BME has allowed me to have a greater appreciation of their associated clinical applications. I am now a PhD student in pathology but my project includes BME components which I will defend on the qualifying exam. But for all intentions and purposes, in terms of diagnosing patients, I don't have to worry about enzyme turnover rate, or be too concerned about Fick's Law of Diffusion😉. Unless you want to go into graduate school in addition to your MD, or want to have a greater appreciation of clinical sciences, then it doesn't really matter what major you do🙂. What really matters though is you being happy in the major you are doing. That usually translates into a better grasp of knowledge, not to mention better grades.

 

[Bluntman]

I majored in both BME and Molecular Bio at UCSD.

Even though there is a lot of overlap, you're allowed to do both of them since they are offered by two separate departments. Kind of a loophole I suppose. Overall, it wasn't very hard to do, and I still managed to finish in 4 years flat. That being said, I didn't really feel that I got much out of the extra major besides a bit more typical bio lab experience. (It certainly won't help your med school app much) You could just as easily get this same experience (or probably better) from doing an internship/job in a lab. Looking back, I wish I had doubled in majors that were more distinct...even if it would have ended up taking a bit more time.

 

[arkroyal]

Out of the approximately 80 BMEs graduating this year at my school, 20 or so of us will be attending med school and had close to a 90% acceptance rate for those applying which is amazing.

 

[MedicineNutt]

Out of the approximately 80 BMEs graduating this year at my school, 20 or so of us will be attending med school and had close to a 90% acceptance rate for those applying which is amazing.

of those BME graduates, how were MCAT scores ?

 

[OctoDoc]

The only bad major is "I Hate People, Doctors Even More, and You in Particular Suck"

Anything else is 👍 .

 

[OctoDoc]

Actually, biomedical engineering is not one of the best majors you should do as an undergraduate. It is an applied field, not a pure field, like mechanical, electrical, or even bioengineering - and school adcoms know this. Instead, it is an amalgam of different classes that doesn't give you a core understanding of any natural science applicatoin (physics mechanics/EM/biology).

I had a friend that said, "Engineers use science like pimps use ******."