Finished medical school/Career change to engineering?? 2

[tech06]

Hi all, first time posting on this forum.

My college degree is in Mechanical Engineering from a respectable state school but decided halfway through to go to medical school. I thought at the time it would be a fascinating and cool career but am now regretting it. I went straight from college to medical school, completed that without much trouble, and am currently half way through my intern year in Internal Medicine.

My question is, can I successfully make a change to the engineering field? I plan on finishing intern year in May 2011 and finishing all my board exams (after which technically I could be a board certified physician in some states, i think, if that helps at all . . . this is mainly to leave the door open if I can't get into engineering). Also, does anyone know where my M.D. degree might help at all? I would prefer not to be in any kind of clinical environment and work strictly engineering.

Would people hire me on after what will be 5 years out of college in a different field? An entry level position would be fine. I am going to try to take the FE exam in the spring if I get enough time to study.

Also, I'm leaving medicine because I really do not like the clinical aspect and quick/small problem solving involved. I loved my undergrad engineering courses and the thinking and problem solving we did and can easily see myself doing that. Currently, I am very lucky to have little debt, so that is not really a factor.

 

[TheTick]

Lots of opportunities in biomedical engineering.

 

[Lion06]

Do you realize the difference in pay between a doctor and an engineer? With that said, I'm all for doing something that you enjoy. I tell my sin all the time, "do what you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life".

 

[Compositepro]

Work for a company that designs and makes medical devices.

 

[tech06]

Yeah, I'm well aware of what I could make as a physician. For me, it's just such an awful lifestyle in a setting that I have little to no interest in. Money right now would be the only thing keeping me going, which would be pretty bad (unfortunately at this stage, those of my colleagues with doubts have too much debt and investment to risk anything else). I just want a job that I at least a few days a month might look forward to . . . Also, chances are I would do a fellowship if I stuck with it, so I would be getting a resident's salary for the next 5-6 years at least.

Anyways, I am looking into biomedical/medical device but feel they would be tough to get with little engineering experience. Will companies hire me on to start from scratch? Or is the market tough enough on engineers now and I might not find anything?

Also, most of what I read put starting and graduating ME salaries around mid-50k's? Is this really true currently? I would be more than happy to start at that right now.

 

[ctopher]

I agree with TheTick about biomedical engineering.
One problem with being a doctor is the malpractice insurance. I know a couple doctors that can't pay some bills because of the high price insurance. It's cheaper for them to work for the hospital on a salary, but more boring for a lot of them.

Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[hokie66]

If I were hiring for a medical equipment company, someone with both medical and ME degrees would be ideal. You have all the education you need, now the training starts.

 

[casseopeia]

Put your time in orthopedics/sports medicine, or maybe osteopath. You probably can't get away from the clinical aspect of your training, but then you will have a greater depth of knowledge of the human body, more than just book learning. I don't have any medical training, just some massage therapy coursework, where it is common knowledge that book learning will never equal familiarity through touching acres and acres of flesh. The hands-on medical training will ultimately be to your benefit in biomedical engineering.

I'm not clear what it is about the clinical environment that repulses you, but I'm willing to guess it might be the patient interaction. Having to deal with people who may not be able to explain their problems clearly, or even know what is wrong with their body. That's why I'm thinking sports medicine might be more agreeable.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[BJC]

If you don't like medicine you probablly won't like most of the jobs you get with BS in engineering.
You won't like the money either.
To bad you wasted yours and everyone elses time. You could have been a motorcycle mechanic or owned your own Subway franchise by now.

 

[pmover]

my college roommate (a med student) encouraged me to consider med school upon completing my BS in ME. i was 32 at the time of graduation and thought that if i go through med school, i'd be in my early 40's before practicing medicine and likely be in significant debt. not at that stage of my life did i want to be in that position. i have enjoyed the engineering work since then . . .

do what your heart tells you . . . you will have no regrets.

there are abundant opportunities for you with your BSME and what med school education you have accomplished.

good luck and enjoy yourself.
-pmover

 

[Comcokid]

Medical and Mechanical? Sounds like a rare combination that many medical device corporations would want. There should be a lot of opportunities from medical device implants up to the usual joint replacement devices. You can be a doctor and not have to do the clinical stuff. KU and WSU (Wichita KS) are talking about taking about taking the aircraft knowledge in composite materials into the medical field. GaTech has a large program in bioengineering that is only a few years old.

As far as engineering jobs, right now the market is tough for Civil and Structural engineers. As an electrical engineer, I've seen worse recessions from the job standpoint in the previous 10 years than the current one.

 

[MechEng2005]

I would think there would be a lot of overlap that you could take advantage of. As many have said, biomechanical and medical devices. What about making the robots that are taking the places of humans (in space, bomb squad, underwater, etc)? Or perhaps you could focus on the things humans use and ergonomics? If sports medicine isn't for you, maybe being the guy that designs the football helmet?

-- MechEng2005

 

[MikeHalloran]

Thanks to IEDs and mines and industrial accidents, the market for prosthetic limbs should be strong for a while, and there is apparently money to be scared up for research and manufacture of better versions. Serious long term challenges are available there and in other branches of rehabilitative engineering/ bionics.








Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[MiketheEngineer]

All good ideas - but if you stay in medicine - go for dermatology. 9-5 working hours - no late calls. no pregos, etc., etc.

 

[frv]

Pimple-popper, MD!

 

[steellion]

Unless you determined that you hate everything about medicine, I think you could turn your engineering/medical background into a well-paying gig in bioengineering. It's probably rare to have both. Similar to engineers that go to law school to become patent attorneys. Don't worry, you haven't wasted your time in school, you just need to know how to market yourself.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

BTW - from what I hear - many Internists only make around $140,000 a year. While that is nothing to sneeze at - many engineers with specific talents and experience make this much..or more....

Remember - We can kill them just as fast as any doctor..

and our OATH should also include - "First - do no harm"

 

[casseopeia]

A lot of money to be made in laser and cosmetic dermatology, but it's not engineering and you really have to have very good people skills.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[PeterStock]

"Remember - We can kill them just as fast as any doctor.."
and in greater numbers!

Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services

http://www.infotechpr.net

 

[IRstuff]

IM pay, I think, is similar to Family Medicine pay in that there is a gigantic variability as a function of location. While some place like Los Angeles might only garner $140K, other places, mostly in the middle of the country can double that amount; I don't know how, given the vagaries of insurance. Obviously, you'd need to be board-certified, etc.

While prosthetics are the most obvious melding of medical and mechanical, it's by no means the only one. Consider engineered materials for stents and body-electricity powered, mechanically efficient, insulin pumps, etc., as other examples where cutting-edge mechanical designs are needed to solve complex medical problems.

TTFN

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