Hi all!
I was wondering how common it was for pre med students to take the biomedical engineering route?
I don’t know about Rochester’s, but at my state flagship the BME outcomes are about 1/3 industry, 1/3 med school, 1/3 engineering grad school.
There are some people who do it but I wouldn’t say that medical schools value it very much. Going the BME route instead of a traditional major like biology, chemistry, or public health would be much more difficult - and for very little benefit (In engineering, it isn’t that difficult to pass, but it is much more difficult to get an A).
To be honest, they are looking at your GPA and MCAT before they even consider what your major is. Keep in mind how important this is, especially considering that something like only 25% of students who take the MCAT will ever become medical students. And on top of that, many students who say they are “pre med” never make it to the point of taking the MCAT. Not trying to scare you away, but just giving some perspective that many incoming freshman don’t think about or realize. BME can give you a more diverse learning experience, but my advise is to maximize GPA, while completing your premed requirements and studying hard for the MCAT if you really want to go to med school.