Electronics > Beginners
Pursuing Electronics as a Med Student: Seeking Guidance and Advice
osmax_br:
Hi EEV Blog Community,
I am currently a medical student and will be starting my surgery classes in four years. While I deeply love medical studies, a few years ago, I discovered a passion for electronics. I've been learning about ESP32s, MCUs, and various electronic components through youtube videos here and there
This newfound interest led me to assist my engineering friends with their projects and even sell some ESP-based projects to local businesses, give Arduino and esp courses to first year engineering students . Now, I'm curious if it's possible for someone who isn't in an engineering school to become a professional in the electronics field.
Do you know anyone with a similar background who could offer some advice?
maybe recommend any courses or resources that provide proper information on electronics (not just hobbiest stuff)?
Or maybe your experience on how you balanced two different things while being good (especially in both hard fields)
Thank you a lot for your help and for sharing your experience !
osmax_br:
Here is an example on a project I worked on before : https://github.com/Osmax-Br/time_keeper_esp32
I am some what good in software but horrible at hardware
tggzzz:
Good for you, but be aware that engineering is as difficult and time consuming as medicine. I think you are likely to find it difficult to learn both simultaneously. I'd concentrate on doing one thing well rather than two things poorly. Have one as a career and the other as a completely different hobby that you can "escape" into.
I did know a lovely person that took biophysics (IIRC) as an undergrad, then a masters in electronics, and became a very innovative engineer. It may or may not be of relevance that two of his ancestors had Nobel prizes :)
As for becoming a professional in the electronics field, be aware of the important differences between technicians and engineers. Neither is better and both are needed - the same is true for nurses and doctors.
NE666:
--- Quote from: tggzzz on January 26, 2025, 11:35:39 am ---Have one as a career and the other as a completely different hobby that you can "escape" into.
--- End quote ---
I think surgery as a hobby would be frowned upon. Your need to 'escape' may then be from state incarceration.
It's an unfortunate fact that in life, binary choices have to be made sometimes. However, that is not to say that all choices are irreversible when you have youth and time on your side.
I left medical school without graduating. I wouldn't describe myself as being academically gifted but I could focus and I worked hard throughout my school and college years. I'd never intended to study medicine or pursue that career path but as my schooling progressed, I found that I was more successful in the biological and chemical sciences, than in maths (and hence 'A' level physics). There's always a tendency to gravitate to where we achieve the greatest successes, and when young, the most recognition and praise. In that way, I was encouraged to apply to medical school and willingly did so.
I found medical studies all consuming but initially, I loved them and everything about them. Looking back, I think that was because what I really enjoy is systems, and the ability to diagnose their operation. And that continued right up until the moment I wasn't interested any more, because my head had been turned. That started when I was introduced to some CS students, and I learned of their studies and got to see their labs and their projects. It reignited in me the interest that I had from early childhood in electronics and computers, and the genie wouldn't go back in the bottle again. I dropped out of university, and pursued a technical career, starting in IT support and working my way up 'on the shop floor' to senior management in software development.
Now, would I do the same again? I honestly don't know, based on my overall experiences.
To answer your question, 'can you become a professional in a field of electronics?', I would still say yes. The fact that you've earned entry to a UK medical school shows that you have the aptitude to commit to a long, hard study path.
'Should you?', is entirely another question. For a start, I don't think it will be anything like as easy for you as it was for me to make such as change. The world has changed a lot since I was at medical school (early nineties). The jobs market has changed radically, and I'm not sure what employment prospects will look like for western engineers in the future. In recent years, I've had both roles I've held and the roles of people I've managed outsourced overnight, to cheaper alternatives. I was able to find well paid, rewarding work in computing without a university degree. That's no longer possible. If you want to make the switch, you're going to need a formal education, which means ending your medical studies and re-starting on an engineering path. That of course, has serious financial implications.
And then there's job security. If I'd wanted that (or had known how important that can be), and knowing what I know now, I'd have continued in medicine. It's pretty much a guarantee of a continual source of income and, at least in the UK, a decent pension. There's no such guarantee in private industry.
If you stay in medicine, there's no reason not to keep electronics as a very intellectually rewarding hobby. It's just that when you're able to give it limited bandwidth, it will take you longer to achieve a level of deep knowledge and competence.
Finally, for consideration; given the direction the world seems to be heading in, perhaps learn some programing on the side first, and then decide when you graduate whether you'd rather have a clinical career, or perhaps try to transition into a 'bioinformatics' one.
jpanhalt:
Don't continue in medicine unless that is your passion. As for other, perhaps unrelated training, I can recommend it, particularly if your plans are more for academic medicine than simply clinical practice. I was part of small group (8 or so) of pre-med friends in college. We had a variety of declared majors including pre-med per se, EE, biology, and chemistry. The EE and I ended up as roommates in med school. That was in the mid-60's and the landscape of medicine in the US was changing rapidly with the introduction of socialization, e.g., Medicare. It was a research oriented school. So-called "leaves" were not an established thing, except for MD/PHD programs. The Dean was very generous, though. We both dropped out for a period at different times in training to pursue another interest and were able to get re-admitted to finish up. He studied computer science and was one of the founders of teleradiology in the US. I went into chemistry and pathology. About half of the rest of that group went into academic medicine at major American universities and the rest took traditional paths into clinical medicine. Here's my perspective having been through it:
1) The most important thing has already been stated. Don't continue in medicine unless that is what you really want to do. Money is not justification.
2) Don't skimp on math as an undergraduate. You don't need to go full EE, but at least have calculus and differential equations.
3) You will need to become Board certified (or British equivalent) in some specialty. That will add significantly to your time in training, particularly for surgery and its subspecialties.
4) Any leave should be during med school, not during or after your specialty training. Generally, you will go from specialty training to your first full-time position. Those positions are easier to find while still a resident. Time off after your residency, except for the military, may raise doubts in the mind of any potential employer/partner.
5) Taking time off to seriously pursue something else is not alway possible, but when it is, remember that you will lose step with the rest of your classmates. If the first year of med school is like ours was, bonds formed during anatomy are strong. When you return, you will not have that bonding with any of your classmates. You may feel a little isolated that first year back.
6) Marriage can be both an advantage and a hinderance. Consider what profession your spouse might want to pursue.
7) Time moves on. I built my first radio at age 9 for RC model airplanes. That was in the early 50's and was pretty primitive. I continued to fiddle with electronics even in grad school, but I didn't devote serious time to it until I was nearing retirement. Electronics changed a lot over that period. I am glad I didn't pursue it early on, but today might be a different story. No one knows how it will be in 20 years. You can always pick it up as a hobby. If in doubt, refer to #1.
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