<p>i'm going to be a freshman physics major at a state school and i need some advice. i'm interested in physics, math, science and i originally came into college with the ambition of going to medical school. however, i've lately been exploring other options, most prominently engineering. i'm having an issue with deciding which career path is the right one for me. i know i can go either way, but i need a little help in deciding which way to go.</p>
<p>i know if i do medicine i would probably focus on neuroscience or epidemiology...i would probably be interested in research medicine as opposed to patient care. is it fairly easy (relatively speaking) to go to an ivy league medical school from a large state school, provided that my scores and grades are high? or do top medical schools place a lot of emphasis on where you get your undergrad. degree from?</p>
<p>and i know this isn't the engineering forum, but do any of you know how the engineering grad. program works in terms of acceptance? is that admission process fairly lenient for the top schools, or is it extremely tough like medical school admission?
and also, is it possible to get an engineering undergrad degree, take the MCAT, and then apply to medical school...or is that just a waste of time?
thats all i have...thanks for your time!</p>
<p>and also...my courses for first semester: organic chem I, physics I, calculus III, accel. rhetoric. i'm not sure whether to take biochemistry or not after i'm done with organic chemistry...any advice? and also, is this schedule "too difficult?"</p>
<p>It doesn't matter where you get your undergad degree from or what degree you get. As long as your grades are high and your MCAT is solid you are competetive. It is not easy to get into an Ivy medical school coming from any school. Heck, from what I heard, its not easy to get into ANY MD (obviously some are less competetive than others). If you're interested in physics, then major in physics because what you major in doesn't matter; it's how well you do in that major. It is possible to get your engineering degree and apply to medical school, but you will need medically related EC's that show your interest in medicine.
Also, that schedule looks killer. I would recommend you not take organic chem first semester, and recommend that you never take organic chem, physics, math, and biochemistry in the same semester.</p>
<p>Yeah I actually was in your situation, but I through actually doing both research and clinical found I wanted to do medicine. My majors are still more non-medicine like (pure chem and pure math), but hopefully Fall 07 i'll be attending med school</p>