Rizka Khairiyyah A

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Studying Medicine vs Engineering | Becoming a Doctor vs Engineer?

Studying medicine or engineering has long been two of the most popular options for students.
In fact, both provide most wanted careers to students who opt for them and are prepared to go
under the grind. However, there seems to be a bias towards engineering which is only natural
and reflected in the numbers of doctors and engineers across the country. Four years of
engineering study can fetch you a decent paying job whereas it is at least 10 years of hard
work to study medicine and even then you could not hope to earn as much as an engineer.
However, the nobility aspect of a medicine career attracts many students towards medicine.
Indeed, being able to provide relief to people by curing their ailments and in some cases,
saving their lives is a big enough incentive for some to be lured by this noble profession.

To tell you the truth, there are thousands of those who want to be doctors but eventually study
engineering as they could not crack the qualifying exam for entrance into med schools. Then
they set out to become engineers to prove that they can still do something. But this article is
not about such students.

It all boils down really to what you ultimately want in your life. If it is a good job to secure
your future with 4 years of study, engineering is a safe and attractive option, but if you want
status in society and a dignified existence with lots of respect, then medicine is a better option
for you.

However, not all students are cut out to study medicine as it requires a different mind set than
what is required to do engineering. In engineering, you need to understand concepts while in
medicine, you need to memorize lots of concepts, and if you do not have mugging power,
better drop your dreams of becoming a doctor. Engineering requires good I.Q, analytical
thinking, and grasping power while medicine requires tremendous memory power and
learning skills. Students perusing medicine are overwhelmed with information. As such, the
workload while studying medicine is many times more than while studying engineering.

One thing to remember is that foundation of engineering courses is based upon mathematical
skills. If you have been scoring 80+ consistently in math at school, then only think about
opting for an engineering course. Additional requirements are a good understanding of
concepts of physics that are always required while studying engineering. On the other hand, if
you find that it is chemistry that you grasp easily and mug up all the chemical formulae and
equations, medicine might be a natural choice for you.
Vast knowledge is a must in medicine. For example, you need to learn the names of all the
vertebrae, and the disease that can take place and their cures. However, if you have the basic
understanding of the concept, you can solve all the problems in engineering.

Despite all the plusses that engineering has, the irony is that the demand for doctors is on the
rise. And it is only natural as health care is a segment where more and more doctors are
required, far more than are currently being churned out from med schools.

Medicine is not just a difficult course; it is also a profession that is a lonely one. A doctor
finds it hard to take vacations as he has to constantly attend his patients, whereas an engineer
can always find time for his family and friends.

While a student does not have to worry about his future after cracking the entrance exams of
engineering schools as he is sure to get a decent job after the completion of the course, a
student has to prepare again to get admission in a PG med school after 5 years of basic study
in a med school.

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