Hello,
I am a high school graduate about to begin freshman year at college. I am currently going to attend as a biology major on a pre-med route. I love biology and want to be a doctor, but the journey is very expensive and I fear that if i do badly any step of the way (like the MCATs) then I’ll have a “useless degree” (so I’ve been told) and a large amount of debt. My relative had suggested that I take Computer Science (CS) as my major and later apply for the Cisco exam and work for them. That way I’ll have a “stable job, good income, and flexible hours”. It all sounds good but I haven’t been exposed to CS enough to know if it’s what I want to do with my life. I want to do medicine and help people, but it’s a huge gamble (I could end up paying off all my debt a decade after graduation if I’m lucky). Theoretically with CS I could pay off my debt in half that time and have a lot of money to manage; however if i find that I don’t like CS or if I’m not very good at it then that may also be time and money wasted.
I’ve heard different comments here and there. Some tell me to follow what I love and the money will follow me, “Medicine is a good field, however biology is a poor choice”, “You have time to do both”, and I’ve heard more than often that “Computer Science growing and is more in demand by the minute”. I’ve heard stories of people dropping out of Med school because they can’t pay for it, people failing the MCATs several times, or even doctors struggling to pay their debt. I have met people who have degrees in CS, but hate their jobs because of “low income”, “poor hours with little to no vacation”, or both. However I know people who love and are successful in either field of study.
Has anyone had a similar experience? Any input? Any suggestions will help please and thank you.
Your best shot at medical school, so I’m told, is to pick a major that you enjoy.
One of my favorite neurologists majored in German Literature.
Computer science can make money out of undergrad, but so can biology, especially of you’re willing to travel into a major city.
Computer science is also really helpful to biology. Bioinformatics is a growing field that could come in handy throughout a career in medicine.
Just some thoughts
Yes, take a look at computational biology. Once you get to school you can see if you like the CS intro class you take, but the comp bio majors if your school has one, let you take both and it is enough to work in cs field if you want. Also give you bio related major if you don’t end up going to med school. Too early to decide on med school, you will have to see what kind of student you are in college and if you enjoy the med related EC in hospital and clinic settings.
You can still be premed and major in computer science - you just need to take the prerequisite classes. This will include biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, calculus, and perhaps statistics and/or biochemistry. It isn’t too terrible as the computer science major will probably require you to take calculus and stats anyway (and perhaps physics) so it’ll probably end up being an additional 6 classes you have to take.
If you do this then if you fail to get into medical school you’ll still be better off than most people. The downside is that it’s more work and keeping your GPA up could be harder depending on how much you like the subject.
Since you said that you have limited CS experience, you could probably give it a try while keeping your bio major, to see if you like it. Is it possible to sign up for the introductory CS class for the fall?
The reality is, there’s enough flexibility that you can take a semester of two to figure it out with my problem, as long as you take the classes to keep in track for either option. It highly recommend getting in touch with your academic advisor to look at your options. If you don’t have to decide yet and you’re not certain, take your time. Your views on careers and interests can change a lot once you start college.
@nanotechnology : Is it a better idea to apply for CS than biology? I’m kind of in the same situation as OP- I’ve heard its easier to switch out of an engineering major than in.
Yes, it’s usually difficult to transfer into engineering because the accreditation process has a lot of specific required course sequences. However, usually CS (even if it’s in an engineering department/college) doesn’t have that kind of strictness. (This is my experience, but look specifically at any colleges you’re considering).