<p>I'm going to be attending UCSD as a bioengineering: pre-med major in the fall. When I was applying, I decided to apply into the pre-med program rather than just bioengineering, thinking that I could change if I decided that I didn't want to go to med school, which isn't true. It turns out that it's impossible to transfer into the BENG major. Keep in mind that this is a BENG: pre-med PROGRAM. It's not just adding the pre-med requirements on top of all the requirements for the BENG major. The freshman and sophomore requirements are pretty much the same, but as you get into the junior and senior years, they're pretty different.</p>
<p>Since I'm very unsure about med school, I'm just wondering how much being BENG: pre-med will hurt me when it comes to both applying to grad schools and to jobs. BENG: pre-med is not accredited at UCSD, while BENG: general is. </p>
<p>I am planning to have a math minor, but I'm not sure if that will help anything. I'm also planning to find internships and participate in research while in school.</p>
<p>For jobs, will the fact that BENG: pre-med is not accredited hurt me? Also, how flexible are companies on job requirements? For example, if a job requires a b.a. in BENG, will I not be able to get an interview because I have a degree that says BENG: pre-med? </p>
<p>Will I be at any disadvatage in getting into a BENG program for grad school because I was in the pre-med program?</p>
<p>If you have free spaces, take some classes that are in the general beng track but not in the premed track. That said, many beng jobs require >B.S./B.E. Grad schools don't care about accreditation for beng since so few programs outside JHU/Duke/UCSD have it - why exclude MIT beng's?</p>
<p>Yeah, it is pretty unfair. The Bioengineering and Biotech majors have the best access to classes, while others generally get screwed. Those two programs are also much smaller than the BioE:pre-med program. I also receive emails about internships or job openings sometimes that are only mailed to BioE and BioTech people, it is pretty unfair, and I think this hurts the school to have this caste system, which creates divisions among students.</p>
<p>As far as math goes, grad programs in math are HIGHLY competitive, so it is hard to get into a top 10 math program even as a straight out math major, and math people look down upon engineers, so that's that.</p>
<p>I suggest you considure doing ChemE and picking the BioChemE specialization and take a few extra classes that you would need to get into medical school.</p>
<p>subject, I just wish that they had a big disclaimer somewhere on the website for the bioengineering department. Or maybe it's my own fault for not noticing that you couldn't switch before applying. I'm also not looking forward to being looked down on for not being in the "real" bioE program. I'm not any less capable than the bioE majors I've met so far.</p>
<p>VTBoy, I've thought about a ChemE major, but I'm apprehensive about it. Intro chem bored me to death, but I'm also afraid to judge just based on that. With all the major requirements that are needed for engineering, I don't have much room to experiment. That does look like my best option so far, though. Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>Edit:
Oh, and I'm not even considering a math major because I'm too terrified of getting stuck in a field like econ once I graduate.</p>
<p>I do find it interesting, hence the math minor.</p>
<p>Everlasting13, it is exactly the SAME situation here at ASU. We have two types of BioE: 1. "regular" BioE and 2. Premedical Engineering (which is essentially the same thing with one or two extra classes to fulfill pre-med requirements). The BioE program is ABET accredited-the Premedical Engineering program is not. How crazy is that? When I saw that distinction prior to applying, I purposely circumvented the so-called "premedical" engineering in favor of the Bioengineering program (even though I am pre-med). My advisor told me that hardly anyone here, even the pre-meds, take the premedical engineering as it isn't accredited and therefore doesn't really help with industry placement (nor does it guarantee enterance into med school, does it).
I reccomend that you talk to your advisor, appeal your situation to him/her and switch to the regular BioE. I am sure that they will be able to understand your case and in no way will they consider you incapable of handling the BioE courseload (you wouldn't be at UCSD if you weren't). I am minoring in Mathematics as well and not for any future advantages, but purely because I like math :). </p>