<p>just curious, but what do most students who want to go to medical school major in?</p>
<p>you can major in anything you want! but most people i know do bio, chem, psych, cog sci...something sciencey</p>
<p>is it possible/easy to fulfill med school requirements if you major in engineering?</p>
<p>It's not easy, by any account, just because both the engineering and the pre-med courses are rigerous. However, I'd say that somewhere around half of biomed engineers are pre-med, give or take a few (about half of the biomeds I know are pre-med, so that's what i'm basing it off of). They have two "tracks" for biomeds: pre-med or no pre-med. Systems engineering is very doable with pre-med because they have a ton of flexibility in classes (compared to the other areas), but something like electrical or mechanical might be very, very difficult.
Also, there's some engineering degree program where you specialize in an area of engineering and then a science area in the College. I don't remember exactly what it's called, but one of the e-school tour guides I met is doing biomed engineering and biology and is doing pre-med. It's sort of a cross between a tailored major and a double major, but you graduate with a BS in engineering (engineering sciences is I think what it's called)</p>
<p>I'm preheath/BME and it is easy enough to fulfill the requirements. Scheduling classes can be a real pain, though. I tried to take Organic my second year but because most engineering classes have only one section, I have to take it this year (my third).</p>
<p>It helps a lot to have AP credits you can use. Again, keep in mind that prehealth/engineering means less time for CLAS and COMM electives.</p>
<p>thanks a lot, that explains a lot</p>
<p>I had some new career ideas to think about since my application that might necessitate a transfer to SEAS. The main issue is that I want to pursue interdisciplinary fields (especially where bioengineering, cognitive science and linguistics meet) but I'm not even sure what sort of career I want to commit myself too yet -- I might decide to do economics / political science / etc. instead. Medicine/law is not out of the question for a researcher-type personality, isn't it? </p>
<p>Since my first course registration is not very far away, and since I plan to take advanced math and "hard science" courses no matter which path I choose, how urgent is a committal (such that I do not have to end up having a delayed graduation) and how successful are internal transfer apps, usually?</p>
<p>Internal transition to the e-school I don't think is difficult. I would try to fullfill as many of the first year courses as you can (chem, math, physics, humanities elective, etc).<br>
However, I assume you mean biomedical engineering. That program is capped, so you might have difficulty getting into the program your second year if it is already full. If you mean environmental engineering, that's part of civil engineering now (they changed the sign and all). I know a guy that transferred into the e-school after his second year to chem engineering, and he's taking a fifth year, but I doubt you'd need more than four if you transferred after your first year.</p>
<p>I want to pursue interdisciplinary fields (especially where bioengineering, cognitive science and linguistics meet)</p>
<p>Had no idea they met in engineering.</p>
<p>Nor do I think they ever will.</p>
<p>In so for as neuroscience and information systems as a whole are concerned, I actually I think they meet a lot. Take for example, sensory perception as a whole -- already we're capable of making crude electronic interfaces that send artificial signals to the auditory nerve as a way to bypass a disabled ear, etc. </p>
<p>It may take a long time to get to neural grafting, but you can't see the connection between linguistics, neuroscience and bionegineering? Oh come on! :p</p>
<p>The silly distinction between humanities and sciences has rotted people's imaginations. :p</p>
<p>First off, it's biomedical engineering. There is no bioengineering.
Secondly, linguistics is the scientific study of language structure and overall nature. Not the actual science behind hearing/speaking/etc.</p>
<p>Neuroscience and biomedical engineering can go together well, I think the engineering sciences degree would cover that well. But mixing in linguistics is a bit far-fetched, no offense. Also, I would imagine it'd be hard to put together a inter-disciplinary program for these three. So, welcome to college: you want to do a million things, and you have a bit of time to narrow them down.</p>
<p>PS- engineers are some of the most imaginative people in the world. Just because we can't write a fantasy novel doesn't mean we can't dream big.</p>
<p>galoisien,</p>
<p>You state: you have many interests (all mentioned seemed to be in liberal arts) and you are no where near sure of what career you would like. I do not see how this would necessitate an eschool transfer.</p>
<p>uvajack: are you an e-schooler? (just trying to sort everyone out ;))</p>
<p>
[quote]
Secondly, linguistics is the scientific study of language structure and overall nature. Not the actual science behind hearing/speaking/etc.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Where'd you get this idea?</p>
<p>The study of structure is a specific field within linguitics -- syntax, morphology, etc. And bahhhh I'm not into that. I'm more into phonetics, phonology, language acquisition, perception and most of all, psycholinguistics. As a side branch, there's historical linguistics, which is interesting both from a political point of view and from a scientific one (we can use historical linguistics to gather evidence for evolutionary processes).</p>
<p>In fact the "the actual science behind hearing/speaking/etc." is the part of linguistics I'm most interested in.</p>
<p>Biolinguistics concerns evolutionary and physiological aspects behind language.</p>
<p>Now, the hardcore study of syntax may in fact be useful -- for say, developing AI translation programs. But I'm only interested in where it intersects with perception.</p>
<p>
[quote]
and you are no where near sure of what career you would like.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>All of them must be research-oriented, that's for sure.</p>
<p>
[quote]
But mixing in linguistics is a bit far-fetched, no offense.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Read this PNAS</a> article and see if you can't immediately see where linguistic fits in. ;)</p>
<p>I was a premedical student in the college, I graduated this past May from UVa. I will be starting medical school next month.</p>
<p>galoisien,</p>
<p>Enthusiasm is nice, but shoebox is correct. Your connections are based on how you are defining these items, if you define linguistics as how we sense sound, and that interests you, then by all means take a class in neurobiology.</p>
<p>Engineering is preprofessional. You are learning a skill that will easily land you a decent job. The college is more catered for those looking to explore varied interests. If you interests are in science, you can take mostly science classes. The difference is: in the college you learn more basic knowledge, in engineering you learn applied knowledge or, in other words, how to do some sort of job.</p>
<p>If the only thing you know is "must be research-oriented" I would recommend staying in the college. Engineering is for students who have narrowed their options down to a single field. Any branch of higher education performs research, the difference being in the subject.</p>
<p>I somewhat have a clear idea on what I want to do, only there are many relevant majors. In all of them I at least see myself playing with augmented nerve nets in nutrient dishes. I do not know if I want an academic career to be the primary ricebowl after all...</p>
<p>
[quote]
Your connections are based on how you are defining these items, if you define linguistics as how we sense sound, and that interests you
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It's not my definition... psycholinguistics has been around in the late 1950s ... I don't know where you guys are getting your horribly restricted ideas of linguistics from. :p </p>
<p>Wikipedia: "Psycholinguistics or psychology of language is the study of the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable humans to acquire, use, and understand language."</p>
<p>I have a whole library (well, okay, six books given to me by professors and friends) about psycholinguistics in my bedroom. Admittedly, some are pretty old (two are in tatters from the 1970s).</p>
<p>In the end, I'm not sure if I want to be stuck doing pure research all my life. The idea is that pure research leads to applied research. I'd rather do the applied research if I could -- it's just that the pure research required for applied research to proceed doesn't exist yet.</p>
<p>Right. Psycholinguistics is still not going to fall anywhere near the realm of engineering. UVAJack is right: you're interested in a very broad area of topics, not an actual applied science. If you were to enter the BiomedE program, you'd be studying biomedical engineering. Maybe you could one day apply that to neuroscience, but you'd be gaining basic skills during your 4 years in SEAS.<br>
I know this is hard, but you're going to have to narrow down your interests of study. If there is a linguistics program at UVA (I don't think there is though...if so, it's small), then perhaps you could minor in a program. Doing something basic like biology or neuroscience or psychology would be good, then going on to grad school for more specialized topics.</p>
<p>uvajack: congrads. May I ask where you're going for med school?</p>