Financial safeties for engineering/pre-med

<p>Just a side comment, you mentioned you want to get " a PhD in whatever field you end up picking" A PhD is a rigorous academic commitment, if you get one it better be something your truly passionate about. Don't just get degrees for the sake of getting more degrees which I'm assuming is your intention. In engineering a Phd is overkill unless you want to teach or do research. All I'm saying is at some point you need to actually go out and work! and if med school is your choice you have a long road ahead of you and student loans to pay off.</p>

<p>Olin is free for all students, but is just engineering. It was rated 2nd for good professors.</p>

<p>I respectfully disagree with those who would discourage someone from majoring in engineering as a pre-med. My husband was an engineering major who went into medicine. The admissions committee commented that they especially like to take engineers because they've been trained to think as opposed to memorize. While engineering is perhaps a tougher major, that isn't a drawback (comparable to admissions officers giving preference to students who take the toughest available courses in their high schools). </p>

<p>By the way, engineering wasn't the only "unusual" major in my husband's med school class. One of his lab partners, for example, had majored in music. As long as the med school's prerequisites are met, major doesn't really matter.</p>

<p>I've heard similar info before about the GPA at gatech being a med-school killer, but to be honest, I don't have many other choices. Gatech is really really cheap since I'm in state, and since I want engineering, theres not really any other logical in-state school to go to. Thats why I wanted to find some other schools that are cheap, good engineering, and aren't GPA killers.
As for the PhD, research is what I would want. Im...lets say 95% sure...that I'll either go to med school or go into research, both are just really strong interests of mine. As is engineering.</p>

<p>But I see what you're saying, andresgt, Ive heard that GaTech and med school don't mix well.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decisions, I'm sure you will do fine no matter what path you take.</p>

<p>To counter momo's comment about her husband and med school, I would just like to say that it's great he did it that way but was it worth it? Same with people that study music and apply to med school, that makes no sense to me. If you are going to devote your life to medicine at least major in something closely related to it to have a better grasp once you get to med school. Engineers do think more critically than the average science major but thats because we are being trained to design and create. Imagine if I would of gone to college and studied pyschology and then applied to grad school to become an electrical engineer! does that make sense? so why would it the other way around. I suggest you specialize in something instead of trying to conquer everything.</p>

<p>So you do recommend against engineering -> premed altogether, or just if I'd be at tech for engineering?</p>

<p>Look at the Biomedical Engineering program at Tech, it ranks 2nd in the nation :</p>

<p>BME:</a> The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering</p>

<p>This might resolve all your questions. You get to study engineering while specializing in medicine and preparing for med school. They also offer dual majors with Emory.</p>