<p>So, i've read posts by current biomedical engineering students at the Johns Hopkins board.... and it seems biomedical engineering is very demanding course load... with that said... i heard your only 1 credit away from math minor and a couple of credits away from a humanities minor if u choose to do one.... the dilemma for me is, i really wanna double major in neurosci/biomedical engineering.... and i'd like to know it thats possible/ has been done?</p>
<p>another possibility was Mechanical Engineering with Biomechanics concentration double majoring in neurosci....</p>
<p>Doing a internship at the neurosurgery faculty at the local hospital under a senior neurosurgeon resident made me realize that i really wanna do both now since there is an opportunity at johns hopkins to take Neurosci as an undergrad...</p>
<p>id like to know anything on this... its not like im cocky or anything that im gonna get accepted and im already thinking about it... i just want to plan things through... cuz JHU is my dream school :D..
anyways advice will be appreciated... My end goal is to do... well... i know its gonna sound crazy... but a double speciality in thoracic and neurosurgery (12 year residency i know... crazy..)... and yah 10 year MD/Ph.D program (Hopefully)... so i pretty much wanna be a surgeon and after 10 years of experience as a practiced surgeon, i want to teach med school.</p>
<p>wow....you have your whole life planned out already, so what are you going to do after you teach med school? </p>
<p>Anyways, when I applied to college, I was almost the same way...just not as hardcore, and I'm sure a lot of Hopkins students here are also like that- they know exactly what they want to do and how to get there. But if your apply to college only solely based on wanting to go to med school or being a neurosurgeon, you won't enjoy college (that's coming from first hand experience). In college, you learn a lot more than just what your classes teach you and what you read in your book, and you need to have fun and grow as an individual also...well at least that's what I realized. It's good have goals, but don't become obsessive over it. As far as double majoring in BME + neuroscience...it may be a bit tough, I don't know how many classes actually count for both majors other than the premed courses. Sorry for my rambling, I just don't want you to make the same mistake that a lot of over-achieving pre-med doctor wanna be's make when deciding on a college.</p>
<p>Why on earth would you want to do an MD/PhD program? If you want to be a surgeon for 15 years and then teach medical school, there is NO NEED for you get your PhD. MD/PhD programs are for training Physician/Scientists- who are PRIMARILY scientists. The interview process for MD/PhD programs is specifically designed to make sure that RESEARCH is your primary career goal. You don't need to (and shouldn't) get one to be a surgeon and then teach.</p>
<p>... then i guess the 5 surgeons on staff at my hospital were told otherwise... seeing as they have been through the same program.... essentially its a fall back plan... and most people do MD/PhD for oncology... i wanna do it cuz ive figured that i might not be able to do a double speciality because i think there is no purpose unless the 2 specialities are some what related... so i was just thinking of the thoracic and neurosurgery thing as an idea... now i gotta figure out of those 2 which one...</p>
<p>JHUery ur not, i value ur opinion and advice... ive been trying to see what options i can lay myself out... the system thats been given to us is so easy to manipulate to our advantage that i can get in with a philosophy degree if i wanted to... so yes i get where u are coming from... only reason i am going to try to go to JHU is because its amazing at medicine and gives a good education and has contacts... if i could get the same respect from going to school for 6 year MBBS in india, id rather do that.. but the political systems of western and eastern collide then, and i become useless..</p>
<p>and again... i am gonna value my experience in university no doubt about it... but i rather not go in blindly and fall couple of stairs.. give me a hint of light- being my ambition and goals in life- and ill succeed down the first couple of stairs... so im planning a little because essentially, i dont wanna end up with people who cant decide anything and screw up their life DURING university... so that is worse..</p>
<p>Shelly is right and what do you mean it's a "fall back plan?" Getting a teaching job at a medical school or university is incredibly difficult. Also, if you go into an MD/PhD interview and say you want to practice then teach, you won't be accepted. They want people who do research--churn out lots and lots of research. What you're proposing is doing two highly difficult, highly selective and long residencies after you've completed a PhD in something you don't intend to research. So, with your current plan, I'd doubt you'd even get into an MD/PhD program. These people become physician-scientists and, as I was told by MD/PhDs at JH Med, their work is 70% research, 20% clinical studies and 10% patient interaction. I think you need to do more research than just "5 surgeons on staff at [your] hospital".</p>
<p>I'm applying to MD/PhD programs this summer and the programs are definitely intended for people who are extremely interested in pursuing academic medicine and laboratory research. If your primary focus is actually practicing as a surgeon, there's little advantage to spending 4+ years doing lab research in order to get doctorate. Even if you want to be involved in research as a practicing physician, that's quite possible with just an MD. But the MD/PhD program is intended for people who want to be working as scientists and want to be able to use their medical degree to apply their research to patients (through clinical trials, new medical devices etc).</p>
<p>ambitiousteen, I think it's great that you have a plan, but I've seen a lot of "undecided" who enter college and they graduate just as successful-if not more- successful than those who have had a life plan since they were in high school. There's nothing wrong with your way of thinking, but don't just choose a college because "its amazing at medicine and gives a good education and has contacts". College is 4 years of your life, and sure it may seem like a stepping stone to med school, but that's 4 longgggg years if you don't enjoy the institution you're at. Before you set Hopkins as your "dream" school, make sure you learn more about it other than it's reputation in medicine. As an undergrad, the closest you'll get to medicine is working at the med school, shadowing doctors, and volunteering. So by the time you apply and matriculate, I hope you'll do yourself the favor of considering other aspects of college- say making friends, having fun, etc- other than just academia.</p>
<p>"its amazing at medicine and gives a good education and has contacts"</p>
<p>Thanks JHUery u just listed the whole reason why i am going to an American Institution... and u listed why eastern hemisphere comes to western hemisphere to study...</p>
<p>If india, saudia arabia, china, etc. had more credit towards the education people receive over there i would be going to go study there... why should i waste my time and money here... when i can easily pull of a 6 year MBBS (Medical Bachelors and Bachelors in Surgery)... but thanks to politics in western hemisphere, they wont full accept the credits i receive from abroad, therefore hindering me if i want to pursue a career here...</p>
<p>and dont worry... im not getting scouted for basketball, soccer and fencing for nothing... i have considered other aspects....</p>
<p>thanks for the advice guys very helpful, ive figured that from your opinions and factual based data that youve guys received, the MD/PhD is more for the medicine aspect... if i were to do the surgical aspect i dont really need that program, as you guys said it is more for research purposes and indirect patient work... </p>
<p>Thank you very much guys :D appreciate the help.</p>
<p>OO by the way,</p>
<p>we all went off topic lol...</p>
<p>so should i double major in something else rather than neurosci and biomed?
or is there a lighter load where i can learn a major that is closest related to biomed eng but also can take neurosci?</p>
<p>but jhuery, u think i havent considered JHU for other reasons?... i have lol... ive set it as a school that is perfect for me... size wise, quality wise, it is a school that appeals to me... this september ill be going for a fall visit and staying there over night... but in the end, I WANT a good education... and i shouldnt base a whole decision that is critical to my life on the other aspects... those come later... my principal reason is academics first, then ill start considering other things... ive done a list of what i want in a university and then i compared my list to what each university offered... i have not completely disregarded other universities, so i have other options... right now i am weighing towards JHU because it has matched my list very well, in terms of what i want...</p>
<p>and it is not a problem for me to make friends.. when a person lives on their own in a metropolitan area at 15 years old, that person tends to grow up a bit... i spent 6 months on my own without my family and friends, and started a fresh new life... it was an experience for a certain academic program but yah it was in toronto...
so aspects like- making friends, having fun- is not an issue... clearly that 1 experience isnt enough, but it supports the whole idea... university is independent life, and for some, its the first time starting completely fresh and new, like a newborn... for me its gonna be the same 6 month period, except this time i got more than 400 kids to chill with, while living on my own, and ill be chilling with these people for more than 6 months, rather 4 years....</p>
<p>maybe i should just say something... i think u guys have got the idea that i am some type of nerd lol... planning out my life.... i am currently a record labeled signed DJ... so many of the aspects u guys are talking about already apply to me... the only thing im scared of is not getting in the university and fear of rejection... once im in university itll be new academically and teaching wise, but i will not be scared of making new friends, or opening up and not being shy etc...</p>