<p>I'm in a huge dilemma and in need of any opinions, facts, stories, etc. that you guys have for me!</p>
<p>Well I am absolutely in love with sports. I like knowing how the body works, how to make it better, and how to prevent from injuries and such. So i started looking in to Physical therapy and Sports medicine, primarily as a physican.</p>
<p>However, I also love building things, knowing how things work, and the mechanics in order to make things run smoothly. I am a very analytical thinkker, with my strong points being physics, Calculus, anything dealing with math. So I looked more into mechanical engineering.</p>
<p>Sports Medicine Physician>>
Pros:
- more money.
-I'd be dealing with a subject I'm already very familiar with: sports, human anatomy, etc.
-not as difficult of an undergraduate degree to obtain.
- I would possibly be able to work with high school/college/pro athletic teams.</p>
<p>Cons:
-more schooling (9-12 years)
-more stressful
-not very many options with bachelors relating to sports medicine if I don't get into med school.
-dont make big bucks until around 30 years old.</p>
<p>Mechanical engineering>>
Pros:
-No graduate school required
-make money immediately
-very broad field (can even enter med school if i wanted)
-doesn't require as high of grades</p>
<p>Cons:
-harder undergraduate
- won't have much of a life!
-not as many job prospects</p>
<p>@tahoe23 – contrary to what you think, you do not have any dilemma at all. You can merge the two as SnowflakeVT suggests. My son is currently studying mechanical engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He considered biomedical engineering but commented that there are plenty of applications for mechanical engineering in that arena. For example, you like sports eh? Well here are some engineering career options that will allow you to use the skills of an engineer and how the body works and anatomy. (1) You could create devices that would allow disabled and/or amputee athletes ski, surf, bike, golf, do marathons, etc., etc. (2) You could design the next generation of prosthetics for amputee veterans looking to get back into combat. (3) You could design the next generation of shoes, skis, snowboards, bobsleds, kayaks, football gear, you name it, any Olympic or professional sport that use devices for able bodied athletes. Furthermore, as an engineer you can go beyond the design phase, you can also dig deep into the manufacturing process, etc. The issue here is not choice, but your imagination with what you can create. There is no conflict here – marry the two passions into one academic and career path. I was a business major with no experience in the areas that you find fascinating and even I see the possibilities… Rethink your dilemma and realize that you have a unique specialty right in front of you.</p>
<p>^^^^^
What OsakaDad said. Also, it is possible to specialize in the prosthetic end of it. Northwestern has a great master’s program for orthotics/prosthetics; its a great job. You can work for others or have your own business. A much needed skill in the world; a friend of mine goes to Cambodia every few years to help make and fit prosthetic limbs for people who have lost them to land mines.</p>
<p>Another very interesting thing that is going on is the development of human exoskeleton technology. Many applications exist – it could replace the wheelchair, create super soldiers, possibly have sports applications, etc., etc.</p>