be an engineer or a doctor?

Practically:

Majoring in engineering requires a lot of problem-solving skills, and if you’re good at math and creative, then you may like becoming a physicist. The next step is to determine which science you want to go into: bio, chem, mechanical, electrical, computer, etc.

Being a doctor requires long hours of memorizing things and retaining names, symptoms, and treatments. You will have memorized thousands of facts about the medical world before you become a doctor.

So, take your pick: Heavy memorization or creative problem-solving? I’m not trying to say that engineering is more fun although my phrasing suggests it. Each has its own practical merits.

Philosophically:

I think being a theoretical physicist is almost like living the life of a kind: creative, discovering new things everyday, delving into a whole new world. Sounds cliche, but it’s the truth.

In contarst, being a doctor means growing up. Depending on what kind of doctor you are, you may have to work on some depressing and gut-wrenching cases, and really growing up. You think you’ve “grown up” at thirty, but not until you’ve become a doctor do you really learn what “growing up” means.

Being an engineer is something in between: you apply creative physics (albeit lots of math) to serious, real life situations.

My gosh child, yes a doctor makes much more money. And it requires the complete dedication of your next 20 years. It is truly a deferment of life. You will be saddled with huge loans, to boot. But if this is truly your calling in life, you must honor it.

Engineering has great pay. You can work for companies with excellent benefits and still have FUN in your 20’s and 30’s (or start a family). And you can do many, many interesting things.

A physician’s life is filled with work. Even after coming home from the hospital, you’re still going to be working. You’re going to get case studies and going to be on-call. You have to attend conventions to brush up and be updated with the advancing technologies. You’re going to be so busy, that you won’t have much time for yourself or your family. Needless to say, you may be saving other people’s lives, but it may be yours that’ll need saving. Of course this is not the case for every doctor. Radiologists work regular office hours and still get paid $$$$.

You could take your time, major in engineering, and take the 4 required pre-med courses. That way you’ll know for sure if engineering is right for you or not, and if not you can “fall back” on med school.

Nice one hahahaha