Pre-med Advice for ECE Students
This page is a collection of resources and frequently asked questions by premed students. I strongly suggest that you visit the Pre-Health Professions web page developed by the Georgia Tech College of Sciences. Many of your questions will be answered there. The Georgia Tech School of Biology maintains a great page called MedRescue with a list of online resources regarding medical professions and volunteer programs.
Can I fit all the pre-med courses into an undergraduate EE/CmpE curriculum? Yes you can. While both degrees only require 2 3-hour science courses (in addition to Physics), you typically need 1 year of biology and 2 years of chemistry. This includes a year of general chemistry lab and at least 1 semester of organic chemistry lab. The ECE curriculum allows for 12 hours of free electives. You may ultimately take more courses than required for the degree.
From a scheduling perspective, you should try to take all of your biology/chemistry courses by the end of your junior year to adequately prepare you for the MCAT. If you try to follow the "Suggested Schedule" in the General Catalog, this may require reordering when you take your science courses and delaying some of your humanities and social science electives until your junior or senior year.
If you try to follow the suggested schedule for an Electrical or Computer Engineering student in the 2001-2003 General Catalog, here is one way to modify it to fit in the required courses. The general recommendation is to defer some of the humanities/social sciences courses to future years, with the net effect being less free and more humanities/social sciences courses taken in Year 4.
Year 1
- CHEM 1310 General Chemistry (4)
- CHEM 1311 Inorganic Chemistry I (3)
- CHEM 1312 Inorganic Chemistry Lab I (1)
- Suggest delaying first ENGL1101 until second semester
Year 2
- CHEM 2311 Organic Chemistry I
- CHEM 2312 Organic Chemistry II
- Suggest delaying HIST/POL/INTA course until a future year
- If ENGL1102 was not taken in year 1, take ENGL1102/LCC3401 in year 2
Year 3
- CHEM 2380 Synthesis Laboratory
- BIOL 1510 Introduction to Biological Principles
- BIOL 1520 Introduction to Organismal Biology
- CmpE: possibly delay ECON2100 to year 4
What other courses should I take?
There are many other courses that may enhance your pre-med interests and help you in medical school. Some common courses include Biochemistry, Human Anatomy and Physiology, as well as senior-level bioengineering courses offered by most of the Engineering Schools at Georgia Tech.
What are my chances of getting into medical school with a EE/CmpE degree?
ECE pre-med students are quite successful at gaining admission to medical school. The Pre-health Professions provides some guidance. Some additional advice:
Be aware that almost every pre-med student does not get into every school they apply to. Visit the top medical schools listing at US News and World Reports and examine the "acceptance rate." For most schools listed, it is less than 10% of the applicants.
Do your homework on what schools to apply to. Many medical schools have a mission statement that describes their purpose. For example, Mercer University School of Medicine states that "the School of Medicine emphasizes training for practice in primary care and other needed medical specialties, with a focus on rural and underserved areas of Georgia. The School ranks among the nation's top schools in producing primary care and family practice physicians." Make sure that your career goals match the program that you are applying to.
Where can I learn about opportunities to intern or volunteer at a hospital?
The Emory School of Medicine House Staff Assistant program offers students "the opportunity to gain first-hand exposure into the daily routine of the physician. Students will be witness to all aspects of this routine as they will become an integral part of the medical team, consisting of attending physicians, resident physicians, and medical students." You should also visit the MedRescue page, which has links to additional volunteer opportunities.
Are there any campus organizations that I should know about?
Yes -- the Georgia Tech American Medical Student Association. Meeting information is on their web page.