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. However, there are lots more differences between medicine and engineering that will be highlighted in this article.
Key Takeaways
- Both medicine and engineering offer attractive career options, but medicine requires more memorization and a longer study period.
- Engineering tends to offer higher salaries, while medicine is considered a more noble profession.
- Demand for doctors is on the rise, but engineers can also find decent jobs and may have an easier time balancing work and personal life.
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 mindset 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 the 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.
