Is BME with premed concentration a good choice?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Georgia Institute of Technology
1

My S is interested in BME with premed concentration at GTech. He prefers to graduate with a good engg degree if medical school option does not work out.

I have a few questions about this. Hoping to get any input from anyone knowledgeable about this major.

Q1) As admissions to med schools require a very high GPA, how hard is to maintain GPA?

Q2) What are the typical GPAs in BME major?

Q3) We noticed that GTech does not have A-/B+ grades unlike other colleges. How does this impact GTech GPAs when compared to other colleges?

Q4) What % of GTech BME premed students get into medical schools? We could find the overall number for Gtech but not for this major.

Q5) Is this doable in four years while maintaining a high GPA?

Q6) Is it easy to find research and internship opportunities?

Q7) Is Grady the only hospital where GTech students volunteer at?

Q8) Looks like, it is not that hard to change majors at GTech if he decides to switch to Neuro Science or some Bio major. How is GTech for Bio majors especially for premed focus?

Q9) If the focus is premed, which one is a wise choice among GTech or Case or UCB/other UCs or UMichigan?

2

Please share if you have any input on any of these.

3

Can’t address whether major of BME will affect GPA. However, the conventional wisdom seems to be that engineering majors are tougher to maintain high GPA; no idea if that is accurate.
This is from the group that handles medical school applications; hope it helps; it’s their 2019 “facts and figures”:
https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/students-residents/interactive-data/2019-facts-applicants-and-matriculants-data

4

Do not do BME at GaTech as premed. Do not go to GaTech as premed for any major.
GaTech is difficult school. GPA will be compromised. We have family member whose medical dreams were derailed due to GaTech (with Bio).
I would go to Case from the list.

5

Amen. @momsearcheng My kid was BME (just graduated). She knows many brilliant kids whose GPA’s derailed them from pre-med. Med Schools don’t give GT kids much more slack on GPA than other schools. My kid got great training and a wonderful education–but it’s just NOT the route to go to become a doctor. ALSO, BME is not an incredibly marketable engineering degree without graduate school. Wish someone had told us that.

6

I have a brother who went to a tippy top med school and is a very successful surgeon. He majored in history.

7

My D is a BME major at another top school. We went to a talk given by the head of the BME department and she said they do NOT recommend pre-med students major in BME. At least at that school, it’s too hard to maintain the GPA needed for med school with that major. I suspect schools like GaTech would be similar.