<p>Hey guys so I'm an undergraduate at UW and was just wondering which would be best for me. I love both fields, but I'm slightly more passionate about becoming a physician as far as schooling goes, I know that there's a lot more school to become a doctor. How much school is there for an engineer? (Computer engineer) Also, I know that UW Medical school is extremely hard to get into.......thoughts?</p>
<p>There should be plenty of opportunities in computer engineering with a BS.</p>
<p>It depends on what you’re willing to risk and what you enjoy. Given that medical school is such a monumental decision in a person’s life, I highly suggest you shadow a few different physicians soon. It’s something required for most med school applicants, but it’s good to start early. After that, becoming a doctor versus an engineer is quite a stretch. Most engineers work hard for a Bachelor’s degree, and then specialize when they get their Master’s. Then, they go work. In medicine, physicians must also get their Bachelor’s, then head-off to med school for 4 years, then complete their residency (~3-4 years), and then most people specialize, which takes another 2-6 years (the higher-end is for neurosurgeons, cardiotherasic surgeons, and most other general surgeons. In addtion, thinking about how much it will cost to get there IS important. If you don’t get into UW (high chance for most people that already go to UW), then you’ll be looking at a private/OOS school, which is ~$50,000/year. Even when you practice medicine, you still have malpractice insurance to deal with (>$100,000/year depending on the state and specialty), and all that other stuff. Just go talk to a physician; ask them if you can shadow, and see if you enjoy it.</p>