Skip to main content
27 answers
27
Asked 5708 views

Should I become a doctor or an engineer?

I am 12 years old and I dream of living in NY when I'm older but the cost of living in the city can be very expensive.
Doctors get paid a lot more than engineers, but being a doctor can be time consuming and stressful. So I just want to know which choice would be better. I want to know how long doctors work, if they enjoy their job, if
there's time for family, if they get vacation. And I'd like to know how the workplace is for engineers, how their teamwork is, and if it's really as fun as it seems on TV.
#career #doctor #health-care #engineer #engineering

+25 Karma if successful
From: You
To: Friend
Subject: Career question for you

27

27 answers


6
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

G. Mark’s Answer

I actually planned on becoming a doctor, and folks in my high school, counselors, etc., assumed I would. I got to college in pre-med. Then several things happened along the way.

Firstly, if you're asking about vacation time, you're probably not fanatical enough about a profession like those two to make any significant headway.

In my case, I got a scholarship that allowed me to take as many classes as I wanted for as long as I wanted, so I was the proverbial kid in a candy store, and I sampled a lot of stuff -- a hundred extra credits and over two years of extra stuff. I happened to be walking along the hallway and I saw a lecture being given that seemed cool, so I walked in and stayed for the class. It was my first brush with computer engineering, and I kept taking those classes while I was in my pre-med curriculum. That turned out to be my passion. But that wasn't the only reason.

Some folks think it may be the hours, but in my particular career, my hours turned out for years on a particularly critical assignment that took up at least as many hours as being a doctor would have. Some doctors in internship might smirk at that, but they'd be wrong, and I won't go into the details. And I spent years working 140 hours a week and choosing, voluntarily, not to take time off. But that's the kind of thing passion for a profession will make you do.

What made me think was that if I, as a scientist or engineer working on a machine, it can be fixed. People, not so much. I frankly didn't want to think that I might be overly tired some day, or simply not attentive, or not passionate enough to do everything possible and have someone suffer physically or even be crippled or die. I'm not strong enough to deal with that, to be honest. Or at least I wasn't confident in myself to be sure that I could be.

Any of the STEM courses of which medicine and engineering and various other fields are full of can go from casual study to intense mind-bending. But after all the study and training, you have that responsibility. So you have to ask yourself two questions. Am I passionate enough to compete with all those intense people and to absorb yourself into studying and research? And once I do, when I'm finally tasked to use that knowledge in a real situation, can I tolerate the failures?

BTW, a practicing physician spends a LOT of time paying back for facilities, student loans, medical insurance and sleepless nights. It's sort of like a lawyer. Folks think you're rolling in cash. But most of the time, the costs to get to that level are not small.

So it's not about money or vacations.
Thank you comment icon I think I'm going to show this to my parents! Until recently, I was pressured to go into medicine, and the thought of letting down a patient is something that has always scared me. Additionally, I'm fascinated with building things, troubleshooting, and fixing! The fact that anybody with interest and determination could thrive in software engineering attracted, and thus I'm pursuing my dream! Aun
6
3
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Doc’s Answer

Tylar if your interested in becoming physician, you need to ask yourself if you are ready for the physical endurance, mental strength and emotional commitment to complete such a long and expensive program.

MEDICAL DOCTORS

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS – Becoming a medical doctor requires a minimum of 12 years of education – 4-year bachelor's degree, 4-years of medical school, a 1-year hospital internship and 3-years of residency training. Students interested in becoming physicians must ask themselves if they have the physical endurance, mental strength and emotional commitment to complete such a long and expensive program.

JOB DESCRIPTION – Examine, diagnose and treat patients. They can specialize in a number of medical areas, such as pediatrics, anesthesiology or cardiology, or they can work as general practice physicians. Becoming a medical doctor requires earning a doctoral degree in medicine and participating in clinical rotations. It's also common for medical school graduates to enroll in a residency program to study a specialty. Medical doctors need state licensure, and certification may also be required for some specialists.

SALARY INFORMATION

PEDIATRICIAN – Median annual salary of $200,000
NEUROLOGIST – Median annual salary of $256,000
DERMATOLOGIST –Median annual salary of $346,000
ANESTHESIOLOGIST – Median annual salary of $388,000

COMPUTER APPLICATION SOFTWARE ENGINEERS

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS – Most computer software development jobs require bachelor's degrees in computer science or software engineering. These programs have significant math requirements that include a sequence in calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra. A sequence in physics is also required. Most employers prefer a computer engineer with a Master’s degree in engineering. Master’s degree programs include software and hardware engineering courses. A master’s degree program might require the student to complete a research project to fulfill the requirements of the degree.

JOB DESCRIPTION – Application software engineers design and develop software applications, such as utility programs and general application software. They work with the user to determine needs and create software to meet user's needs. They modify existing software to fix problems, optimize functioning and enable its use on new hardware platforms. They oversee installation of software systems as well as monitor equipment. They also perform testing and validation of software systems to ensure that applications work properly.

While some computer application engineers design and produce commercially sold software suites, most design or customize applications for businesses or other organizations. Some application engineers design and analyze databases within a given application area. An emerging field is game and application designs for cell phones, mp3 players and other portable computers.

Applications engineers must communicate with systems analysts, engineers and programmers to get information on project limitations, performance requirements and interfaces. They consult with clients in the design phase to determine clients' needs. After an application has been released, they help customers with maintenance issues.

SALARY INFORMATION – Median annual salary of $105,000

Hope this was Helpful Tylar
Thank you comment icon Your Welcome Tylar. It was my Pleasure Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Thank You Aun. “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.” – Erma Bombeck Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Thank You for your Continued Support Dexter. “The broadest, and maybe the most meaningful definition of volunteering: Doing more than you have to because you want to, in a cause you consider good. ” – Ivan Scheier Doc Frick
3
1
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Ashlee’s Answer

Hi Tylar,

I am not a doctor or an engineer, but I help students determine what area of study/career they would like to pursue. In my experience, both Doctors and Engineers get paid well, depending on a variety of factors (where they live, what type of field they are in within medicine and engineering, etc.). In addition, both usually make time for their families and vacations. I find that this is an unknown to students: there is a "work/life harmony" required to enjoy your work and enjoy your life. Commonly we call this "work/life balance." The truth is that sometimes, regardless of the field you go into for your career, you will work more, and sometimes you will life more. I hope that makes sense. So the next steps I would recommend to you are to research the types of classes/expectations that are required to get a degree in pre-med and engineering. This can be found on any university website, under their admissions tab, for that specific track. Here's USC's Pre-Med page as an example: https://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/pre_professional_advising/premed/index.php. As an over-view in order to gain admittance into a professional MD program classes that are needed include: Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Statistics, Microbiology, Psychology (again this depends on the program you attend). Engineering programs usually include: Calculus I-III, University Physics, Engineering Chemistry and so on (again depending on the program you attend). With all of this, what I would recommend next is that you ask to job-shadow/observe a Doctor and an Engineer (this is easier than it seems because you can ask your own doctor or ask other family/friends for people to observe). This should help you better decide which field you find more interesting. The last piece of advice I want to give you is to also look beyond the hours, location, and pay of the job. Trust me, in the end, this is not everything. I hope this helps! Good luck!
1
1
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Tommy’s Answer

I am a retired aerospace engineer. My two daughters are successful as a physicians assistant and a nurse. The P.A. married a pediatric pathologist. My suggestion is to consider the P.A. path. The education is much less than a dr. The pay is more than an engineer it less than the dr. The job is much more in demand than a nurse and engineer. The only drawback is the certification and exams every 10 years. A four year degree is required followed by 2 years for a ms at a med school. Starting salary is around 80-100k. Good luck!
1
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Colleen’s Answer

Hi Tyler!

This is so interesting to see. From the time I was 8 years old, I dreamed of becoming a doctor. My grandfather was a family practitioner and I saw so much of the work he did and wanted to do the same some day. I worked really hard up through high school and did plenty of research into what medical schools are looking for in competitive candidates, and used that information when choosing my college major. I chose Chemical Engineering and applied to colleges with rigorous engineering programs, with the thought of possibly standing out amongst the many bio/chem majors who’d be applying to med school. I completed my major while following the Pre-Health track at my university, but I knew from the moment I sat through my first Chemical Engineering course (Material & Energy Balances) in my sophomore year, that my passions actually leaned towards Engineering.

I never wanted to become a doctor for the financial gain; in reality, although doctors have above average salaries, they also have large quantities of undergrad & medical school debt, and in the event that they own their own doctor’s office, they also have relatively high levels of liability insurance for their practices, which can work to even out the pay gap between the professions of engineer & physician. I wanted to become a doctor to solve people’s health problems, like my grandpa did. He owned a small family practice and I watched him work long hours diagnosing and treating a huge range of medical ailments; he also made house calls to those who couldn’t make it to his practice. I saw his compassion and enduring need to help fix people. That’s what drove me towards that profession. And honestly, up until college, I didn’t actually know what an engineer did. There were no engineers in my family or close family friends, so I had little to go off of except the fact that I knew they were usually adept at math & science, which were both huge academic passions of mine.

What changed my mind about my career path, was that I realized at the root of my desire to become a doctor was my innate passion for problem solving and my want to help people by figuring out problems & working to solve them. It was very simple. And while pursuing my Chemical Engineering degree I found that I could find systemic, large-scale problems in how things work in so many different industries with Engineering, like pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, waste treatment, biomedical devices, etc and the solutions that I could come up with could help many people in many different ways. At the end of the day, I liked the VARIETY of problems I could encounter in Engineering, as opposed to specifically medical problems I’d be seeing primarily in the medical field. There was no consideration for money or vacation time in either profession if I’m being honest. As overly simple as it sounds, I just had to ask myself what was at the core of my passion for either profession and that guided me, I just happened to find a home with Engineering and I’m incredibly happy with my choice.

I wish you the best of luck moving forward :)
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Diana’s Answer

I would start by volunteering at a hospital to see what type of doctor you may be interested in becoming. Many doctors work 12-16 hour work days and are on call. But some like a Dermatologist may not be as high in demand. Going into a real hospital and volunteering will give you a real feel for the work and what it entails. As for engineering, there are a number of companies that are looking for engineers but again you would need to see what type of engineering you want to get into such as Software Engineer, Mechanical Engineer and Civil Engineer.

Diana recommends the following next steps:

Volunteer or shadow at a hospital
Research engineering fields (Software, Civil, Mechanical, Chemical etc.)
Research high paying engineering positions in NY
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Ashley’s Answer

One thing to always keep in mind is to not necessarily choose a job because you'll make more money, choose a job because the job makes you happy. You want to be able to wake up and be excited about going work, not dreading it.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Sarab’s Answer

The answer should depend on areas of your interest and not your ability to make money. Money is only the byproduct of something that you love to do. Find that thing. You can make a lot of money in either of those professions
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Rebecca’s Answer

Hi Tyler,

I was a mechanical engineer before pivoting to product management. I also lived in NYC for 5 years and love NYC.

My advice here however would be to focus on the career goal first, and the location will come. Being a doctor or engineer in NYC, you will do just fine, so I think the bigger question here is what are you interested in more. Both careers will require a lot of dedication and time to gain expertise, so you'll want to ensure they maintain your interest.

Engineering is cool, yes, but perhaps not entirely like Myth Busters on TV :-) I varies greatly though and my engineering career involved a lot of calculations along with a lot of hands on experimentation. For me, the hands on experimentation was my favorite part!

Being proficient in either one of these fields will allow you to have flexibility in location. You can do either in NYC!
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

ALEXIS’s Answer

Hello,
It really depends on what interests you most! That may change as you get older, but my advice would be stay curious and open to exploring and learning new things about both fields. Look for STEM programs with your parents or guardians for both medicine and engineering, check out content online, and join as many groups as you can that offer opportunities to get a sense of both fields. It's also important to learn more about what the day to day work life balance is with both careers, as it may become more important to you as you get older. Life is for living, not solely for working and building a career. Whatever you decide, I know you can do it! Excited for your future. Good luck!
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Gregory’s Answer

My son is currently a resident doctor. Today, residencies are 5-6 years, depending on the specialty. This is after 8 years of college (Undergrad/Bachelor's degree + medical school). The hours as a resident doctor are long - sometimes 12-14 hours. I can say for sure that a dedication to the field of medicine is required to consider becoming a doctor.

Money should not be the prime motivation for seeking a career as a medical doctor. As you said, long hours and stress (especially now with the COVID-19 pandemic) are part of the job. If it is your passion to care for sick people and help with healing them, then pursue a career as a medical doctor. If not, engineering would be the better choice.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Swee Ann’s Answer

Glad that you are ambitious and start to think ahead at this young age.... In my opinion, passion and love what you do is the key for endurance.. Monetary could be attractive but enjoying what you do would last longer especially for a career like doctor. There are also many types of doctors that you can explore for.. it can be just a clinical doctor all the way up to surgeon with different levels of role criticality and responsibility. These are the variables that determine the time you spend for this job versus the time left for your family members. In whatever aspect, always remember there are always choices at any times if eventually you realize this might not what you like. Suggest you to explore more and get to know more before you decide any. :) All the best!
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

rani priya’s Answer

Every profession has its pros and cons. I would urge you to go for a profession that you are passionate for, that would keep you happy.

STUDENT LIFE
Surviving the student life of medical science is much tougher than that of engineering. The former practically demands you to forget your personal life and study, study and study a little more. Whereas, for aspiring engineers getting into a good college is the toughest part, after that the journey is relatively smoother.

RESPECT
In this respect, doctors are clear winners. Doctors are saviours of lives; they are often given the status of semi-god by patients and the society in general. On the other hand, engineering is just another profession.

HARD WORK
Doctors have to struggle a lot more to establish themselves than engineers. Again, thanks to the advent of IT, B.Tech degree holders are much in demand. And if you manage to get an MBA done after B.Tech, you do not have to look back. However, a doctor needs time to flourish. Quick money is something that a doctor cannot have.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment of doctors is much flexible as compared to engineers. This is because doctors can work at hospitals, which have state-of-the-art facilities as well as in General Hospitals. Besides, doctors can also practice in their private clinics. Engineers, on the other hand, have to work in strict corporate environments and even at construction sites.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Deanna’s Answer

Hi Tylar!

I am not a doctor or engineer myself, but I have three engineers in my family and my soon to be sister in law is in the process of becoming a doctor and I'm hopeful to give you some helpful advice based on my knowledge of their careers and selecting a job that will fulfill you in general.

One of the most important things to consider when selecting the job you want to go to college for is whether you are truly interested in that field of study. If medicine and engineering are fields you are passionate about, that is great! Which one do you feel will interest you more? Do you love helping people? Do you love math and science? Would you prefer to work directly with patients or at a desk?

Bear in mind that becoming a doctor will require a more lengthy schooling and training process (8 years along with required residency program), while to become an engineer, you can do so with a 4 year degree and then continue your education if you wish. Doctors may often be required to work long hours, nights, weekends, holidays, etc., where engineering may cater more to a 9-5 schedule.

There are also many different branches in the medical and engineering fields based on what you may be interested in. For example, if you're interested in the environment, perhaps environmental engineering would be of interest to you. If you're interested in helping children, perhaps a career as a pediatric doctor would be of interest.

I would be hesitant to choose a career solely based on the income earning potential. Consider your passions and interests first and what you feel would fuel you to get up in the morning and go to a job you truly enjoy.

You may also wish to seek a mentor or speak to members in your community in your fields of interest and find out more about what they do and why they love it. Hearing first hand from someone who has experience in the field may be very helpful to you.

Best of luck to you in your career search!
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Rickey’s Answer

Hi Tylar,

It really depends on your interests and passions. if you have a strong desire to solve problems and are technically minded, then engineering sounds like a great path for you to take. In the engineering profession there are variety of different specialties such as mechanical, electrical, biomedical, industrial, environmental, materials, etc.

I had a friend in college that wanted to be a doctor originally, but switched over to doing biomedical engineering as he was more interested in creating artificial limbs and devices that would support people's health.

Ask yourself the question, "What do I really want to do and am I willing to put in the time it will take to get there?
As a engineer, it takes on average 4-5 years to get a engineering degree whereas a doctor may take anywhere from 8-12+ years of schooling to get that degree. Chances are that whatever your passionate about, it will keep you focused and going even when times get tough. So I wish you well in your career search!

0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Maroua’s Answer

You should consider different factors when choosing a carrier. Personally, I think that the most important factor is to choose something that you are passionate about. Something that you really want to do so you can excel in it.
Some times you can be in a job that pays very well but you are not comfortable or happy! Remember that the key to success is to balance between the job you are doing and your personal life.

I suggest that that you try to get into an internship or even a volunteer work in each one of the fields . This will expose you to the environment and will give you the opportunity to experience how it really is to be a n engineer or a doctor.

You have plenty of time ahead of you to explore and enjoy, good luck with that!
P.s I am an engineer and I am enjoying it :)




0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Gabrielle’s Answer

The other answers on this post are great! The only advice I can add on is to remember to follow your dreams as how much one is paid vs, the other isn't the only thing you must consider. While both are amazing and will always be needed and appreciated, who gets paid the most isn't always the answer. You also want to be happy about waking up every morning and getting the opportunity to do whatever it is that you choose. You can even start now, by shadowing people you may know in this field to really get a glance at what life is like in both fields. Of course this isn't recommended immediately as we are in a pandemic but those are things you can do now that surely should help you decide. The best of luck, you're thinking smart and ahead!
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Nicole’s Answer

Hi Tylar M. 12 years old and asking these types of awesome questions!! Good for you.

You have been fortunate in that the answers you have gotten are really good ones. As a person who graduated with an engineering degree, I can share with you that there are many colleges/universities that specialize in a branch of engineering called bio-medical engineering. You have gotten some good responses from other folks about salary ranges and expectations for either a medical or engineering degree. I echo the feedback that what is most important is that you begin to work through understanding what you like to do and whether or when that passion is deep enough to apply the time and energy to succeed.

As you continue doing your research, consider areas of engineering that have "slices" of medicine. Note also that many times there is overlap in college/university curricula between engineering and medicine, for example statistics and data analysis.

I wish you best of luck on your journey!
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Kuei-Ti’s Answer

Before talking about how my job as an engineer is, I'd like to mention that to be a doctor, you need a graduate degree. What do you major in undergraduate then? You can major in an engineering major.

While I personally had no plan to be a doctor, several of my friends majored in an engineering major during undergraduate with the plan of applying to the school of medicine to be a doctor. Some of the majors my friends took were bioengineering and electrical engineering with a concentration of biomedical instrumentation.

Some of them didn't choose the pre-med for their undergraduate so that if they changed their mind, they could be engineers instead of doctors.

The courses in those specific engineering majors are also useful for preparing for MCAT.

Consider taking MOOCs intended for helping high school students explore different careers. FutureLearn (UK) isn't for high school students only but provides a lot of courses that aren't too hard: https://www.futurelearn.com/ Most MOOCs are free and self-paced, so there's no rush.

As for life as an engineer, it really depends on what type of engineer (electrical, computer, etc.), what organization, what department, what team, the team members, and a lot of other factors. Mine is fun, with intelligent and friendly coworkers (including my managers) in my team who, in my opinion, are better than a lot of engineers on TV as they don't cause trouble and they try to do things in a rigorous way. I've never had to worry about workplace bullying and can focus on my work because of them.

Kuei-Ti recommends the following next steps:

Take MOOCs to explore careers.
Research what college majors can help you be an engineer and also a doctor.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Sean’s Answer

Hello - while I can't completely advise you on which path to take, I can offer my perspective as someone who majored in engineering. Depending on which engineering major you choose, there are a wide variety of career opportunties you can pursue, and starting your career as an engineer can lead to career opportunities in a wide variety of fields, many of which can offer high levels of compensation. In my own personal career journey as someone who majored in Industrial Engineering, I started my career in Software Development, which led to an opportunity in technical sales, which led to an opportunity in Sales / Account Management. I have had peers that have started in engineering and ultimately moved into positions in finance, marketing, and strategy consulting. I have also had peers that have stayed in the engineering career and become more specialized in their field. Overall, I believe careeres in engineering offer more flexibility for time off and work / life balance as compared to medicine, but certain medical fields may offer good flexibility.

If high levels of compensation after college is your primary objective, majoring in Computer Science or Chemical Engineering are great choices as starting salaries are among the highest relative to other engineering disciplines. If you're looking for an engineering major that will offer the widest variety of career opportunities after graduation, I would recommend Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering. Other engineering disciplines (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, etc.) offer great opportunities as well, and if those are of highest interest to you, you can't really go wrong majoring in any engineering discipline.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Jimmy’s Answer

As a software engineer in the world's top company, I would say being an engineer is not bad,
it give you reward for the hard efforts you have paid, and it leave a wide space of area that you can fly around with your full energy.

But when I become older, I feel like a doctor is a more important and a more inspiring work , especially in current cov19 event.
So to do this choice , you have to think about :

Becoming a doctor:

1. after high school, it takes between 9 to 13 years before one can practice on his/her own, if you need to take out a student loan, you will spent the first 10 years after finishing residency paying off your debt so you can start living after being 40-45 years old.
2. The working week is long, your profession will impact heavily on your private life, without a supportive partner you couldn't have a happy family life.
3. in many parts of the world finding a job wouldn't be a problem , and the pay often is quite OK, when compared to engineers, but will vary widely depending of your specialty.


Becoming an engineer:

1. It takes "just" 5 years after high school to graduate, after that engineers will go on educating/training themselves on the job, but have a decent paying job, unlike the underpaid resident doctors in training for medical specialist often making ± $ 60,000 a year.
2. In many countries income would be lower than a doctor's, but social life would be better because of the more civilized working hours.
according to Engineering Salaries on the Rise - ASME in the US engineers make an average income of $ 103,400.- including bonuses.
3. people's skill are also very much needed if one aims for a management position.

Regards
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Theresa’s Answer

If you are trying to decide between being a doctor or an engineer based on pay that is a tough decision. While Doctors might get paid more they also end up spending more for malpractice insurance. My mother as a nurse even had to purchase malpractice insurance. Doctors will also typically spend more on their education where as an engineer you can knock out most of your requirements at a community college and then do a year or two at a typical university. But I am not a doctor so I will address your engineering questions. There are many types of engineers. You should investigate which fields really interest you. As a computer engineer, I have worked in many different types of environments and teams. Some teams were very fun and others were not. The hours will depend on the type of company and engineering job you choose. Working for a company that is just starting up has been the most fun but also required very long hours. Right out of college, I received 2 weeks of vacation in addition to holidays and sick days.

For general advice I would suggest that you really need to decide which interests you the most. A job, no matter how well paid, will be boring if you are not interested in the work and will make you unhappy. Finding something you are passionate about is the key to a happy life. You might find an engineering degree in the medical field such as bio-engineering.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

M’s Answer

During my school days I always wanted to be a Doctor. Connecting with new people on a daily basis and saving life was always on my minds. Interestingly,  I ended up becoming a Software Engineer, If I look back and see my friends who went to med school, the amount of time in years they have to spend studying, passing multiple steps, and going through the internship program was huge.

At the end, it all comes down to your passion, how much time you want to invest. Regarding salary, software engineers these days are making decent money.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Jonathan’s Answer

I think the best answer is something you'll just need to evaluate yourself. Look at the requirements to become each and how interested you are in either. I would caution that going into any career path simply because of money might leave a lot to be desired. Both professions if you're chasing money involve a lot of work and while they are usually rewarded well; it might not be enough to just make money if at the end of the day you're exhausted from work you do not find interesting.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Priyanka’s Answer

I am a software engineer and i will advice you to choose medicine as careers because medicine is a very long term career, there is no retirement age for it. You can start a business of you own !! Engineer career will be mostly private job , short span and after a certain time monotonous as well.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Zimrri’s Answer

Hi Tylar,

It's great to see you think about your future at such a young age. Before you think about the money focus on what makes you happy. You should look at for volunteering opportunities and go into the office. Most engineering companies have very flexible schedules, work from home, and paid time off. For example, I work at Workday as a Quality Assurance Engineer and my work and life balance has been amazing. We have game rooms, snacks, and Workday cares about our wellbeing.

Cost of living could be expensive in the city. There are a couple ways to make living more affordable. For example, you could live outside of city in areas with lower rent. You could also split your living expenses with roommates as well.

Make sure whatever you do makes you happy at the end of the day. Everything will fall into place.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Vineeth’s Answer

Dear Tyler,

I am from India. There are differences between an engineer and a doctor here. We have many software engineers compared to the doctors. And being said this, the opportunities for doctors are huge. Even after retirement if they want to have private consultation they can contiue working. I believe challenges and risks are the same in both industry. But for a doctor to get his branding and get settled it takes time compared to any other job. Once they have their branding it is easy for them to sustain.

More than what i mentioned above, there is a human factor associated in a doctor. They get more satisfaction than working with machines. same time risk can be more too.

So my suggestion would be to think more about your preference. What you like to do in this life? Service people? or earn a career like every other?

0