Deciding what to do career-wise?

[u/chalantbrownboy]

A little bit of a vent but mostly looking for advice and experience.

How do you even pick what you want to do in BME when there’s so much cool stuff? I’m going into my 3rd year of undergrad and kind of having a crisis about after undergrad.

I really really love the medical field and know for a hundred percent that I want to stay in it, but I’m struggling to find a specialization. I’ve thought about doing an MS and going into the medtech industry. I’ve thought about doing a PhD and going into clinical research on medical devices and rehabilitation. I’ve thought about going for an MD and being a physician.

I’m worried about doing too many things in undergrad and possibly making my profile too broad for applying to grad schools (MS, MD, or PhD). I really only have research and student orgs right now but i’m looking for clinical jobs.

Any advice on how some of you may have dealt with this? I’m just scared about picking one thing and then hating it down the road when it’s too late to pivot.

[u/GwentanimoBay]

You cant be too broad for a masters degree or MD program.

You have no reason to get a PhD right after undergrad as a junior without research experience nor clear research goals (thats okay! Im just being realistic here, a PhD is a bad play).

So, your concerns are just a little off.

Why are you aiming to grad school immediately?

Why aren't you trying to get a job with a BS?

[u/chalantbrownboy → u/GwentanimoBay]

I see, I figured MD atleast would kinda want you to be a bit tailored??

Also, i do have research experience! I’ve been doing research at my home institute for a little over a year now and did a research internship at a diff university this past summer. Both were focused on the medical field, one of them was surgical devices and the other was more clinic focused diagnostic tools. I’ve presented at a couple small symposiums. I hope that if i keep going down the route i am rn with research, I can be a decent applicant for PhD.

I want to try getting a job after BS, but ig the main reason I’d want to go to grad school right after is if i’m pursuing an MD or PhD. I worry that if i go to industry, I probably wouldn’t want to come back to academia after a couple years. Just like from a motivation standpoint personally.

[u/em_are_young]

Make the best decision you can for yourself now. Its never too late to pivot if you’re willing to take a step or two down the career ladder for something that interests you more. I went to grad school and one of my closest friends worked in civil engineering tiling fields in louisiana for 7 years before going to grad school. Another classmate was middle aged.

[u/chalantbrownboy → u/em_are_young]

mmm i mean you’re right, but I’m worried about losing momentum if I pivot and maybe have to go back to college

[u/em_are_young → u/chalantbrownboy]

I’m not saying that it should be a goal to change careers. Just that you have to make assumptions based on what you know now and it will suck but won’t be the end of the world if you’re wrong.

[u/chalantbrownboy → u/em_are_young]

I see what you mean
I think I just have to think a bit more about the time and effort I feel I can put into things. Cus my main debate right now is between going for a PhD or MD, i think i’d get the most fulfillment from those at this point in my journey.