Computer Science? Pre-Med?

College Majors Math/Computer Science Majors
1

<p>Hello College Confidential,</p>

<p>Since this is my first time here, I will elaborate my predicament in some detail. I am currently facing an academic, or in the big picture, a life dilemma. Ever since the first day I set foot in Kindergarten, I have aspired to become a doctor. Having a family history of doctor-hood, it would seem likely so.To serve mankind to my utmost potential and be the best I can be. Being born into an Asian family, I was constantly pressured by my parents to pursue the medical path, which brings us to the predicament at hand. I am currently a 3rd year Biological Sciences student at my university. Although I had initially intended to embark on the pre-med endeavor, I was unable to expect what was to come. So far, I detest it. As the years passed my GPA continued to diminish, up to the point where I needed severe help in order to raise it to a standard level. My interest in Medicine continued to decline as well since I constantly fret about the length and the amount of work and dedication it takes in order to become a Medical Practitioner a.k.a Doctor. Coupled with anxiety and severe depression stemming from the lack of support, dwindling grades, parental pressure, and not the slightest idea of what to do with my life, I have created a disastrous equation for myself in terms of my life and academic career.</p>

<p>So here's where I am currently at. I have developed a sudden interest in computing over the last few weeks, and although I don't know if this is perpetual or not, I am willing to test it out. As such, my parents have told me to do whatever I want in terms of furthering myself. Therefore, I am currently thinking of transferring into Computer Science but I am unsure of what to expect. I am afraid of committing myself to this major and falling victim to yet another bad life decision. I'm also afraid of starting from scratch and experiencing the dejecting thought of seeing my friends graduate before I do, even though I love them and I wish them the best in their lives. I guess you could just say I have lost all motivation and at this point all I want is a relatively useful degree that can support me financially.</p>

<p>I have no prior experience with computer programming, computer hardware, etc. I have no strong subject(s) since basically I have blindly studied whatever was thrown at me from square one. My weak subjects include Physics, Chemistry, and anything that has a lot of reading in it (Philosophy, English, etc.). I just dislike reading and writing for the sake of grades. I am a relatively astute student capable of learning new things and applying myself wherever and however necessary. However, I do not identify or derive pleasure from referring to myself as a "genius".</p>

<p>So ultimately, my question(s) is/are: What constitutes Computer Science? Is it a good degree in terms of job security, job satisfaction, etc. What type of subjects is it comprised of? Is it very difficult as compared to other majors? How effective is the degree in the long run? What can I expect to see if I transfer into it? What's the difference between Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Software Development? Should I transfer into it? Would I be making the right decision? Are there any alternative majors that support my thoughts/outlook?</p>

<p>I'm sorry about the insanely verbose topic but anyone hoping to answer it sincerely would be assisting me immensely. Thank you for reading.</p>

2

<p>If you don’t like medicine, don’t be a doctor. There are to many in it for the money that the patient suffers as a result.</p>

<p>Now, you are going to have a hard time learning computers so late in the college game and may have to take an extra year or 2 to learn what you need to succeed. as for job security and money, there are ot many fields better than comp sci as far as monetary value. There is a degree that you may like even more though, and that is Management Information Systems with an emphasis in Medical Administration. with this degree you can expect to be running the computer systems of a hospital and possibly making near 6 figures if your good at it.</p>

<p>Good luck in whatever you choose :)</p>

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<p>Since your looking for a career that has good job prospects and can support yourself financially with just a bachelors degree than computer science is a good choice. You didn’t mention where your from but if your from a major city you should have no problem since I see many job postings looking for computer science grads. If you do switch majors make sure you do an intership or or two before you get your bachelors degree. One more thing is that I seen threads on here saying how difficult and time consuming it can be. Good luck.</p>

4

<p>I would say Comp Sci would be an excellent major for pre-med. At my Alma Mater, at least, Comp Sci was very flexible and it would be easier to integrate your pre-med classes into your classes than it might be in EE. Comp Sci is pretty broad and you could go in a lot of direction in the Technology world with it. Many schools have speciality tracks like Computational Biology, which would let you integrate your pre-med classes.</p>