Medicine vs Engineering : Which should you go for?

If you’re trying to decide between Medicin Vs Engineering: Which one you should go for, then this article will be very helpful to you.

Medicine and engineering are top-notch courses of science inclined students all over the world. These two courses can guarantee better career prospects for any student of science. 

In fact, there are immense opportunities on offer after graduating with degrees in any of those two courses. 

However, many students are often stuck in a dilemma when it comes to deciding between the two. Luckily, this article explains in detail these two important courses; Medicine Vs Engineering and why one may suit you better than the other.

Amongst the things that will determine the choice you make between these two courses are your passion and interest, ease of getting admission, cost and length of study, training after graduation, job prospects, potential, and career earning. 

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Medicine vs Engineering: Which is Harder?

Although it is difficult to drive a conclusion, there are lots of reasons to believe that medicine is much harder than engineering. For instance, it is harder to get into medical school than it is to get into engineering school. Also, the volume of study at medical schools is greater than that of engineering.

However, both majors require total dedication to be scaled through. To study either of them you will need to commit to studying coursework, attending lectures, and the numerous classes that come with studying them.

You will need to be familiar with advanced mathematics and statistics as well as science-based subjects to study engineering, although this will be dependent on the branch of engineering you are going for.

Studying medicine requires A-Grade college scores in mathematics and science subjects. Either way, medicine is still more rigorous than engineering is. One who is passionate about problem-solving through the use of mathematics and science as well as has an eye for details can study engineering with little or no difficulties.

Also, it is easier to get into engineering schools than it is to get into medical schools. These are the reasons to believe that engineering is harder than medicine.

Medicine Vs Engineering: Career Comparison

1. Your Passion and Interest

Above all, the primary reason determinant of your choice between studying medicine and engineering should be your passion and interest. If you naturally have a passion for taking care of sick patients, by all means, you’ll definitely go with medicine. But if a particular engineering field interests you so well, then you should go for engineering. This comparison is for people who need a side-by-side analysis to make a better decision. 

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2. Ease of Getting Admission

Applying to engineering school is the first step on the path to becoming an engineer, no matter what course the student plans to study. 

The application process for both undergraduate and graduate courses in engineering can be difficult and nerve-wracking, and the results can have such a big impact on the trajectory of one’s career. 

Engineering applicants should expect to be able to demonstrate a solid background in mathematics and science subjects like Physics and Chemistry. Therefore, the more courses high school students can take in these subjects, the better. Some engineering schools may ask students to write exams to test their proficiency in math while others may demand high school CGPA. So, getting admitted to study engineering should be easier if you are good in math.

The medical school, however, has an entirely different process when it comes to admission. It’s a fact that medicine is one of the most difficult courses to get admitted into and that’s because doctors who graduate from medical school will be responsible for millions of human lives. Therefore, medicine seeks only the best, both academically and personality-wise. Each year, medical schools, which are already hard to get into, are getting harder to secure admission into. According to the U.S. News annual survey of the 118 ranked medical schools, it was reported that their acceptance rates were found to be only 6.8% in 2018. However, in 2019, the average acceptance rate of the most competitive medical schools was just 2.4%.

So, judging by the ease of getting admission for both courses, engineering wins. However, there are more things to consider in choosing between medicine or engineering.   

3. Cost and Length of Study

The cost of studying in engineering schools depends on the country you choose to study in. In the USA, with over 20% of international students studying engineering, the cost of studying is around $170,000 on average for four years. 

The cost is much higher because the US has some of the most prestigious engineering schools in the world. In Asia and Africa, tuition fees are cheaper. On average, an engineering degree takes 5 years. 

Medical schools, in the US, require 4 years of pre-medical training for a medical degree. The four years consist of clinical and preclinical courses. 

The final degree is DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) or MD (Doctor of Medicine). Getting a medical degree in the US takes between 6 to 9 years with the inclusion of residency and costs an average of $198,000. 

Medical degrees are however cheaper in countries like Ukraine, China, Russia, and Nigeria. In terms of the cost of study, engineering appears cheaper and requires a shorter time frame to get a degree.

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4. Training After Graduation

Most engineers just look for a job in their field after they acquire their degree. There is almost no compulsory training to become an engineer. However, in Canada and the USA, all states require licensure for engineers who offer their services directly to the public. Licensed engineers are called Professional Engineers (PE). In Nigeria for instance, you will need to register with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering (COREN), to practice as a professional engineer. Mechanical, structural, civil, industrial, and environmental engineers are most likely to seek a license than Computer engineers.

For medicine, the first four years are spent in the classroom while three years are spent in the hospital for intensive medical training after which a residency exam is written.

 In many jurisdictions,  in order to obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine, successful completion of such training is a requirement. 

Moreover, the medical school teaches physicians a broad range of basic clinical skills, medical knowledge, and supervised experience practicing medicine in a variety of fields, medical residency gives in-depth training within a specific branch of medicine. Doctors are well trained because of the sensitive nature of their work. Engineers on the other hand simply learn on the job.

5. Job Prospects

When deciding between Medicine or engineering; which is better, the job prospect is very important. 

Both medicine and engineering have high job opportunities. For engineering, it depends on the field. Software engineers, petroleum, and robotics are the most lucrative branches of engineering, Agricultural engineers have fewer job opportunities.

Doctors on the other hand perhaps have the most secure and lucrative job in the world because people will always fall sick making doctors always in demand. While engineering jobs are dependent on innovation and infrastructural development, medicine jobs simply depend on health and wellbeing. In the UK, for example, engineering had an employment rate of 85%medicine while dentistry had an employment rate of 99% after graduation. This is why a lot of medical doctors in Asia and Africa immigrate to Europe for job opportunities. Graduates of medical school are readily employed as medical doctors The only complaint could only be about underpayment.

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6. Career Earning Potential

In the United States, the average starting salary of an engineer is around $91,000. This amount can be higher or lower depending on the field of engineering. Primary care doctors, on the other hand, earn a starting salary of around $200,000 and this is for. Specialists earn over $300,000. Though engineers can earn more or less depending on their expertise and experience but on average, they earn less than doctors. In most countries, medical doctors earn more than engineers on average.

In terms of the ease of getting admission and cost and length of study, Engineering comes out on top. On-the-job prospects, training, and earning potential, Medicine tops. The choice of Medicine or engineering; which is better ultimately lies with you as you should now be able to weigh and consider your options after going through this post. Engineering and Medicine are two top courses with awesome job prospects and great pay.

FAQs Medicine vs Engineering: Which should you go for?

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