Premed Engineering

[Wahoo1]

Hey All,
I am a premed student who decided to take the biomedical engineering route (dumb). I also have a business minor, so my course load has been really heavy, and as a result my GPA is lower than I would like. Does anyone have any idea as to how med schools consider course load in applicants, specifically engineering majors? Is there a "correction factor" or something? Thanks for the advice.
Wahoo1

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[scalpel179]

I started an electrical engineering program with the intention of continuing on to medical school. Luckily, two weeks into the entire thing I got wise and reconsidered. Otherwise, I am sure that I would have been in your exact same position.

Certainly admission committees are wise and aware that certain majors are more difficult than others. One can only hope.

Best of luck.

 

[crazy_cavalier]

Hey All,
I am a premed student who decided to take the biomedical engineering route (dumb). I also have a business minor, so my course load has been really heavy, and as a result my GPA is lower than I would like. Does anyone have any idea as to how med schools consider course load in applicants, specifically engineering majors? Is there a "correction factor" or something? Thanks for the advice.
Wahoo1

Sorry dude. No special consideration for our harder curricula. I can tell you UVa's BME route was not a dumb decision. On the contrary. You'll learn some really good stuff. I promise.

 

[femily]

i know for the initial screening process they don't care what your major is. but once you get past that...they take it into consideration. i'm a chemical engineer and my gpa was lower than the average liberal arts gpa, so i had to make up for it with a strong personal statement, good mcat, and good extracurriculars. also being an engr student teaches you teamwork and how to do a ton of work under really heavy stress. but still try to make good grades...but don't change your major (unless you just really feel like you hate engineering). all my engineering friends who applied to med school got in and are doing well. granted...some of them were on the waitlist...but eventually all got in.

just pray that you get past round 1. after that...it's cake.

 

[wowowowow101]

Cool, another BME! I'm in my Senior year of BME ; and yes.. my GPA is [significantly] lower than my ArtSci premed friends'. I'm in the application process, and I seem to be getting just about the same number of interviews and acceptances as my fellow Bio or Chem major friends with super high GPAs. You'll be fine. Just learn as much as you can and enjoy your major. BME is a really tough major, and only those who are really serious about it complete the program. We take some really cool classes, and the schools who really understand what BME is all about will definitely understand your academic circumstances. I'm not telling you to "be ok" with a lower GPA, but you shouldn't worry if you don't apply with a 4.0. Just try to keep your head about 3.4, and you'll be ok. And of course you'll be extra ready when MCAT time comes.

Also, some of the BME courses you take can be interesting topics for academic interview questions! Apply to schools like Hopkins, Harvard, Wash U, the UCs, etc.. who have reputable BME programs. I attend one of those schools and ALL my BME friends who graduated before me and now attend med. school tell me that it's a piece of cake!

 

[GujjuNo1]

I started an electrical engineering program with the intention of continuing on to medical school. Luckily, two weeks into the entire thing I got wise and reconsidered. Otherwise, I am sure that I would have been in your exact same position.

Certainly admission committees are wise and aware that certain majors are more difficult than others. One can only hope.

Best of luck.

I have BS in EE. One of the best decisions of my life. I can say for sure that majoring in EE better prepared me for MCAT.

One thing I noticed.....I had trouble answering why EE. (I also started engineering knowing I wanted to be a doctor). One interviewed even told me that this sounded unbelievable because most of the students start in engineering and then change their minds. So at times, it is a tough sell.