<p>Hi all I'm thinking of doing a chem engineering major for medical school. Chemical engineering as a backup of course. But how is the major? I'm really good at chemistry and math (100s in AP Chem and Calc, 800s on sat 2 math 2 and chem and fives on exams) (don't mean to brag just trying to see if I'd actually do well in chemE). How much chemistry do you actually use? Is it hard? Please tell me! I'm also considering a chemistry major if I don't want a chem E major</p>
<p>Most chemical engineering classes are much more physics-based than chemistry-based (fluid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and all the other classes that use those subjects). The main chemistry-oriented class would be kinetics/reaction engineering since you use a lot of rate laws/catalysis stuff.</p>
<p>AP physics gives a better idea of chemical engineering than AP chemistry.</p>
<p>I’m a senior ChemE. As previously stated it’s mainly physics. But you’ll also be taking chemistry courses above Gen Chem. I took Orgo I & II, PChem and Quantitative Analysis. Calculus is used heavily in a lot of the courses so if you’re good at math, chemistry and physics, and have an interest in solving problems, you’ll do very well as a ChemE.</p>
<p>The biggest drawback with CHEME as a pre-med major is that there are few electives in an engineering curriculum and the standard CHEM program is missing a lot of the Biology and physiology that is useful for medical school. Of course, those things can be learned in medical school but you might be at a slight disadvantage compared to students who had a Biochemistry major. The flip side is that you will probably do very well on the physical sciences part of the MCATs.</p>
<p>Some Chemical Engineering departments are now getting into Biological Engineering (or Bioengineering) and this degree might be a good compromise between pure CHEME and Biochemistry.</p>
<p>Not to high-jack this thread, but I have a question similar to that of the OP…Are there many chemical eng jobs in the pharmaceutical industry? Also, would chem E be a good base for going into pharm school (pharm.D)? I’m not sure that’s a path I want to take, I’m more interested in eng, but it’s always nice to have the option.
Thanks</p>
<p>@AJOhio The pharmaceutical industry was a major employer of chemical engineers in the past but there has been a shakeout in the number of companies (they tend to buy each other up routinely) and it is a somewhat depressed market. I think that there is relative boom in the petroleum industry now and a lot of chemical engineers get jobs there.</p>
<p>As for your question about a PharmD. Sure you can go from a ChemE B.S. degree. All they really want is the the first two years of a Chemistry curriculum, through Organic II. In fact many pharmacy schools have programs where they take students after 2 years of college for the PharmD. This cuts off a year or two from the time to get a PharmD but you don’t get a B.S. along the way.</p>