I’m a high school junior and I love math, biology, and chemistry
I will have taken multivariable calculus, ap chemistry, ap physics c by the time I graduate.
I self studied for ap bio and i got a 5. I also got 800 on sat bio.
I don’t know whether to pursue medicine, dentistry, or chemical/biomedical engineering
i am good at both math and biology and chemistry, and I dont know what to decide
I was planning to apply to combined dental programs (UOP 5 year, SUNY, NYU), and then apply to UC’s and some privates as a chemical engineering major. I was thinking that by majoring in chemical engineering, I would get the math and chemistry that I wanted, and I would be able to specialize in a biology field. This way, I would be able to get a masters or Phd in biomedical engineering after undergrad. Or, I could go to medical school after a bs in chemical engineering. Does this plan seem feasible and does it make sense? I was thinking about majoring in biomedical engineering, which I love, but many people tell me that it is hard to engineering jobs with that degree, and it is basically a premed degree.
Well, first I think that if you are unsure about your future path you shouldn’t apply to any combined (BS/MD or BS/DDS) programs. Those programs lock you in and accelerate you through your undergrad - so you have less time to explore and try out internships and jobs that might help you identify your interests and career goals.
You can go to both dental school and medical school with a chemical engineering major s- why not go to college with the goal of doing a chemical or biomedical engineering major on a pre-med and/or pre-dental track? Pre-med and pre-dental requirements are pretty similar.
You know, I have heard people say before that it’s hard to get jobs with a biomedical engineering degree and no graduate degree. I haven’t seen any data to support that, though. Undermployment and low-skilled employment are pretty low for engineering bachelor’s degree overall. It may be a good idea to chat with the biomedical engineering department, and/or career services, at universities you’re interested in to see what kind of employment BME grads get post-college.
@juillet the thing with the combined dental track is that if I got in to something like the uop 5 year track, I would probably attend. However, it’s kind of unlikely that that will happen because I don’t want to shadow dentists right now and only 15 to 20 people people get accepted.
The chemical engineering pre med track was exactly what I was planning to do. I especially like schools with a chemical and biomolecular engineering major.
I really would love to find out more about jobs for biomedical engineers. It seems that in my experience a huge number go on to get PhDs or mds, and even after PhDs don’t earn as much as they could if they had a BS in computer science.
I know Carnegie Mellon actually allows people to double major in chemical and biomedical engineering.
I’m also worried about the majors right now because I have to figure whether to take ap chem or ap bio (the class) next year. I have already taken ap physics c.
Also, I’ve heard that it is mucccch harder for chemical engineers to get admitted to med school because of their engineering gpas being lower than a biology major. Is this true at all?
Well, it’s true that there’s a perception that it’s harder to keep a high GPA in an engineering major than in a biology major because of the workload and perceived difficulty of the courses. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average GPA for engineering majors is a little bit lower than it is for life sciences majors (3.11 for engineering; 3.20 for life sciences), but that data is pretty old. I’d also imagine that there’s a lot of variation within groups as well - some students might excel in engineering but wouldn’t do well in a biology major.
That said, I wouldn’t shy away from a major (especially a potentially lucrative one like chemical engineering) because you’re afraid of a slightly lower GPA.
Sure, and what I’m saying is that might not be the right choice for you. The kinds of students who do combined dental programs - especially accelerated combined dental programs, particularly 5 years (which shave 3 years off the combination, which seems insane) are the students who KNOW that they want to be a dentist. They’re the ones who would jump at the chance to shadow a dentist right now, and who can stay with the program even through the grueling schedule. If you aren’t even sure you want to shadow a dentist right now (which is totally okay!) then it sounds like a 5-year BS/DDS program probably isn’t a good fit for you personally.
Well, you have to balance earnings and interests. I have a PhD in social psychology; I probably won’t earn as much as someone with an MS in computer science has the potential to make. Heck, I probably don’t even earn as much as a BS with 3 years of experience in software design makes at a comparable company. But that’s okay, because I don’t want to do software engineering/development - I like my job a lot, and I get paid plenty well for what I do. A software developer might get paid more than your average biomedical engineer, but that doesn’t matter. Do you want to be a BME? Does the BME salary provide enough to satisfy your needs and the desired lifestyle you have in mind?
@juillet Right now, my goal is to be a biomedical, biomolecular, or pharmaceutical engineer. Unless something changes during undergrad, that is probably what I am going to continue to become. The salaries for biomedical engineering seem to be all over the place right now, and I can’t find a reliable source that will tell me how readily jobs are available with a bs in biomedical engineering. That is why I feel that it is much safer to get a bs in chem e and then get a master’s in biomedical engineering. For me, I don’t know yet if I could be satisfied with the salary that a biomedical engineer earns. That’s why I am keeping my doors to medical/dental school wide open.
First of all, you have plenty of time to figure out the answer to your question. But you are wise to be asking and seeking answers. If you’re having a hard time deciding between medicine, dentistry, or chemical engineering, have you considered doing an informational interview with someone in each of those fields?
For example, you could start off by asking your family’s physician for an interview. Just to ask him/her questions about stuff like:
Why did you go into medicine?
What was medical school like?
How did you prepare for medical school while getting your BA/BS?
What was your internship/residency like? How hard was it to get into a residency program?
What are some of your favorite parts of your job?
What are the more frustrating or difficult parts of your job?
If you could change anything about your field/profession, what would it be?
Then you go to your family’s dentist and have the same conversation and ask him/her the same questions.
Then talk to a chemical engineer and ask that person questions about his/her job. If you don’t know any chemical engineers, start by going to http://www.aiche.org/. Find a state or local chapter of the organization. Contact them (phone, email) and tell them that you’re interested in pursuing chemical engineering in college and why you’d like to interview an engineer. You’ll probably get some positive responses.