asdfghj Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Hi all I`m currently studying for bachelor of science @ dalhousie right now and planned to switch to mechanical engineering next year but i want to go to med school for sure . The reason why i am considering to switch to engineering is because first, i can`t stand the bachelor of science as i find it very boring and second, engineering gives you that back up degree if i don`t get in. I`ve done many research on engineering and everyone i`ve talked to tells me that it is very hard to get high gpa in engineering and since,any med universities in canada focuses on GPA heavily, it`s an advice i can`t ignore. I was wondering if you guys have any advice on this matter. ps. any tips on how to make your resume stand out? other than typical volunteering and club activities..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That's_Life Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 It is difficult to achieve high grades in engineering, but decent grades are attainable. I know a number of dedicated engineering students who have done well. By the same token, average students tend to do more poorly in engineering than average students in other fields. It is no secret that there are a great number more kinesiology students walking the halls of academia with perfect 4.0 gp averages than there are engineering students. There is a bonus in having an applicable backup degree, but another thing you may consider is the option to do a masters in engineering after your BSc should you not be accepted into medicine following four undergraduate years. This can be done, however it is a more natural transition if you have taken a hard science. (Here, by 'hard' I mean based on rigorous principles - the physical sciences, in particular.) Also, should you go on to achieve an M.Eng, you will be ineligible to apply for many engineering jobs based on the fact that you don't have an iron ring. The undergrad. engineering degree is beneficial here. It's very important to take something you enjoy. Four years seems long if you hate what you're doing. If you think you will enjoy engineering, go for it, but understand that you will find more limited time for your other activities. In which year are you, and what are you studying currently? If you wish to pursue medicine "for sure", then you may consider taking the easiest course offerings you can find. Medical schools would not like to admit it (excepting UofT med and a few others) but the requirements stipulated in the admissions process encourage this by virtue of their reliance on blind gpa values without recognition of relative program difficulty. Also keep this in mind: gpa accounts for only 15% of the overall medical school application at Dalhousie. The other factors are more important as a whole... And thus we arrive at your "ps." question. My answer? I can't suggest particulars; only you can make your application stand out. You already should be doing extracurricular activities/volunteering for which you have a passion. Dedicate yourself consistently over a great period of time, and your efforts will be recognized. Take advantage of any research opportunities that come your way. Don't think of it as a means to an end; the means is a valuable growth process in itself. Pour your heart into it if this is what you really want to do.. and for goodness' sake, comb your application for orthographic and grammatical errors.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asdfghj Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 haha sorry about the grammar. i'd definitely have to work on that. and to answer your question, i'm in first year bachelor of science at dalhousie and i study general sciences and planned to major in chem if i choose to stay in bsc, and regarding the extracurriculars, i'm already volunteering in hospital and different charity organizations as well as participating in various sporting events. and thank you for your advice. i have about two weeks untill i have to make a decision, i'm just worried that i might be "deviating" from the course of medicine. many have advised that it's possible to gain acceptace in med school with engineering degree, but it seems as the ones that have got into have 4.2 gpas or low gpas with outstanding extracurricular. i.e. olympics i'm no genius but i 'm not dumb either. I've been always top of my class but self doubt is bit great at this point since many don't get accepted. and idea of a back up plan is very appealing. I recently interviewed med student at dalhousie and he told me there are only about 3 engineers in his class. am i making a valid assumption that not a lot of engineers apply to med school? or like you said engineers are not preferred over many bsc graduates? and what are the breakdowns of the scores? (i've researched it, but everyone has a different data) thank you for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That's_Life Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Your extracurriculars look great so far! Just continue building on them over the years. Like I mentioned before, the key to extracurriculars is passion and commitment, regardless of what you choose to do. Fewer engineers apply to medical school (than students in the sciences) but professors in the faculty of medicine will tell you there tends to be at least one engineer in every class. It varies a little from university to university, but medical school admissions aren't interested in the type of degree completed. This is a downside for engineering students interested in applying simply because of the difficulty of the degree. The upside, like you mentioned, are the job prospects after completing undergrad. eng. Also, keep in mind pure chemistry is not easy. Boring (as you say) and hard make a terrible combination! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psqu Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 There is a great opportunity cost for an engineering grad to enroll in medical school. Average starting salary for an Chemical Engineer is $55 000-60 000 per year. Engineering is a tough degree to complete: count on having 6-8 courses per semester, compared to the "normal" five. Given the difficulty and the prospect of a well paying job immediately after finishing a BSc, it's easy to see why fewer engineers want to pursue an MD. That being said, there is a great deal of camaraderie amongst engineering students, late nights working on labs an assignments together, going out for drinks after an impossible midterm, etc.; it's not impossible to do well, but be prepared to do a lot of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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