<p>Are there any other pre-meds out there on an engineering track? I'm on the fence and don't know if I should make the switch from AB to BSE. I really want to do ChemE, but engineering destroys GPAs. While I wanted to do ChemE initially for an alternative in case I don't get into med school, now I think that ChemE will preemptively preclude me from med school. Thoughts?
I should add that if I don't get into med school, there's no other job I can imagine myself doing than being a chemical engineer. If I get an AB in Chemistry instead, I'd have to go back to school for an MS in engineering so why not just get the BSE the first go? There's really nothing to do with an AB in Chemistry except go back to school for a doctorate and do research. I don't envision myself on the bench for the rest of my life.</p>
<p>I just sent you a private message.</p>
<p>I would very much like an answer to this as well.</p>
<p>HPA sent out a demographic breakdown of princeton applicants for the 2012-2013 med cycle. apparently only 6% are engineers/cos people. take that as you will. i’m not an engineer, but i know that being an engineer certainly won’t preclude you from being a competitive medical applicant. i personally know of several cheme’s going for dent or med, but most are taking at least one year off before applying (which in and of itself is not unusual for ANY pre-med. only about 30-40% of pre-meds apply straight out of princeton anyways). and to be honest, students majoring in the natural sciences arguably have it harder in terms of maintaining a competitive gpa. the average gpa in the natural sciences is the lowest among academic disciplines, and the amount of A-range grades given out per class is also the lowest in the natural sciences. i personally think that the low percentage of engineers going into medical school is not really a reflection of some gpa-based disadvantage, but rather simply because engineers don’t tend towards medicine to begin with. so basically…if you want to be a pre-med cheme, go for it!</p>
<p>but i do think that you’re undercutting the usefulness of a science AB degree a bit. from what i understand from friends, the difference between cheme and chemistry isn’t really all that much. the required classes are definitely different, but ultimately i feel that a lot of their research is somewhat similar to what you will find in the chem (and even mol!) departments. a chemistry major will definitely have to get an additional upper level degree and sustain research in order to remain competitive in his field, but in the end he doesn’t have to stick to pure academia. he can still go into industry and consulting and whatnot. in the end, i think that there is a large enough overlap between the two that you will not find one that will significantly better prepare you for a specific route over the other. again, this is all based on observations and conversations with many cheme friends and not from personal experience. so…take from all of this what you will!</p>
<p>Please don’t think that med schools use GPA as the only criterion. They know an easy major from a hard one and an easy schedule from a hard one. They also know that getting an A at one college is harder than getting an A at another college, especially the prominent schools, which have many applicants. They know that Princeton has had a grade deflation program, and take that into account.</p>
<p>There are many other criteria, among them your MCAT’s, summer jobs, research, activities, indication that you care for humanity, and on and on.</p>
<p>Chem E is hard – probably the hardest major in the school. When the premeds are taking organic chemistry plus three easy classes so their organic chemistry grade will look good, you’ll be taking three or four classes, most of which will be demanding. The good part is that organic chemistry will also be a course that will also fulfill a course requirement for your major, unlike other premeds. You’ll also probably do well on the MCAT’s as a whole if you major in Chemical Engineering (in part, simply because it’s hard, and you’ll have worked like crazy). If Chem E comes easily to you, then med school admission shouldn’t be difficult for you.</p>
<p>Monica Bertagnolli, MD, Princeton ’81, majored in chemical engineering. She is now Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology, at Dana Farber, a surgical oncologist and a professor at Harvard Medical School. Yes, engineers can become doctors.</p>
<p>I also know a religion major from Princeton who is now an orthopedic surgeon, so your major is not that critical when applying to med school as long as you do very well academically.</p>