Pursuing a masters in engineering during residency

[duranelvis902]

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Hey all, I plan to pursue residency in IM, MS4 student right now. I was wondering if residency grants enough time to pursue a masters degree. I studied engineering in undergrad, but switched to psych, less time-consuming and overall didn't hurt my GPA as much, I still have an interest in engineering and it's haunted me that I never got a degree in it. The master's program at NJIT for the online electrical engineering program is 30 credits, I was thinking if I took 3-4 classes a year if it would be doable? I ask because I went to med school on a scholarship that dictated I pursue primary care, and after I become board-certified I have to work for the church I got the scholarship from, and work with them for 4 years. I have no idea what schedule I'll have with them so I'd like to get my degree during residency. Anyone else who got an MS/MBA/MPH during residency? How was it?

 

[Raryn]

Hey all, I plan to pursue residency in IM, MS4 student right now. I was wondering if residency grants enough time to pursue a masters degree. I studied engineering in undergrad, but switched to psych, less time-consuming and overall didn't hurt my GPA as much, I still have an interest in engineering and it's haunted me that I never got a degree in it. The master's program at NJIT for the online electrical engineering program is 30 credits, I was thinking if I took 3-4 classes a year if it would be doable? I ask because I went to med school on a scholarship that dictated I pursue primary care, and after I become board-certified I have to work for the church I got the scholarship from, and work with them for 4 years. I have no idea what schedule I'll have with them so I'd like to get my degree during residency. Anyone else who got an MS/MBA/MPH during residency? How was it?

How are you an M4 and have no idea what residency schedules are like? During your first year of residency, you'll probably have 6 or 7 months of inpatient experience. At your typical program, you'll be working anywhere from 60-80 hrs every week during those months. Probably closer to 80 near the beginning of the year, going down as the year progresses. Do you *really* think you'll have time to be doing masters coursework concurrently? I mean, its not *impossible* if everything is online and very flexible with timing, but I'm pretty sure it's a recipe for disaster. Chances are, by the end of the second month, you'll be failing your masters, will have a reputation as a weak resident (due to being even more sleep deprived than the rest if nothing else), and will be ready to eat lead on top of everything else.

 

[Stedari]

Residency will be more demanding than your commitment to the church will be. Dedicate yourself to medicine and then explore that option. At the very least, give yourself 6 months to adapt to your residency program.

 

[CptNemo]

Why?
Are you going to use this degree for a future job? If you really want to do this for personal reasons only, I think that it would be easier/wiser to do after residency.

I've seen people get masters degrees through physician scientist training programs in IM: 2 years clinical then a clinical + research fellowship (they do the MS during the protected research time). Also, some clinical/research fellowships will give time/funding for an MS in biomed research. I've never seen anyone do a masters concurrently while they are doing clinical work. Unless you have a really light and cush residency, this seems like a terrible idea... I couldn't imagine doing a sociology or communications degree during residency, much less engineering.

 

[jdh71]

No. Lol.

Masters? Lol.

No.

 

[CatFactorial]

Don't.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

Especially not in something like engineering, which is tough and takes a crapload of time and dedication to do well with. Take it from somebody who's been there - as an intern you'll barely have time to sleep, ****, shower and shave, never mind pursuing a Master's degree.

The only time I've heard of stuff like this working is if it's some sort of 'integrated' program that gets you a degree as you finish residency (our program offers this with an M.Ed, IIRC) and those people are busy as hell. Just don't.

 

[sacrament]

My MS in chemical engineering was the most difficult thing I've ever done. My residency in internal medicine was the second most difficult thing I've ever done. The notion of doing them concurrently is literally nonsensical.

 

[Lawgiver]

omg what?

 

[kristofer]

You could theoretically take a single online class each semester and use the little amount of free time you have to study for it, allowing you to complete only half of the required credits in 3 years. You would have essentially no time for anything else in your life. You would probably do poorly in your engineering class, if you could pass it at all, especially without any recent engineering education or an undergrad degree in electrical engineering. Electrical engineering masters level courses typically require a thorough understanding of basic EE principles, which aren't easy to wrap your head around and take most people the better part of 4 years of college. Electrical engineering is one of the most, if not the most, intellectually challenging undergraduate degrees.

I would suggest, if you have a true interest in the subject, reading on your own and picking up a shortwave radio kit or something. If you are just interested in collecting the degree as some sort of personal goal or badge of honor, you couldn't have picked a worse environment to try and do that in if you tried.

 

[ULTRON]

I'm an EE and you cannot pursue MSEE without an undergrad in EE or at least a certain number of hours in EE. Also, EE is incredibly time consuming. I plan to pursue MS and PhD but only after I finish residency and my licencing exams.

 

[QualityProcess]

do it as an attending