Medical or Engineering – Which is better for you?

Choosing a career after schooling is one of the most important decisions in a student’s life. Many times, students identify their interest areas in early classes that eventually helps them in making an appropriate career choice. However, many students remain unsure about the same and face difficulties in deciding which career option is best for them.

Engineering and medical are two prominent career choices that offer various opportunities and amazing job prospects for students. Thus, they remain the conventional choices for all science enthusiasts. However, choosing between these two popular career options is a major dilemma faced by numerous students.

Here is a small guide that can help you to choose what is best for you:

Why Engineering?

Engineering is a great career choice for students with problem-solving instincts and for those who love to apply scientific theories for solving complex problems. If you have a curious and creative mind, then engineering is the right career choice for you, as the course can hone your aptitude and help you to succeed in life with flying colors. According to educators, engineering-based education exposes students to various technical subjects and skill sets.

Some advantages of choosing engineering as a career choice include:

• Opens doorway to a variety of opportunities in the fields of Information Technology (IT), Finance, Management, and many others.
• Aids in the development of skills that are transferrable to various domains, including problem-solving, decision making, project management, communication, etc.
• Since this information age is leveraged with rapid social and technological changes, the demand for creative engineers is only going to increase in future.
• Students graduating from various IITs or NITs receive handsome packages. However, in order to enjoy this lucrativeness, you should dedicate yourself to studies.

Since the world is experiencing a technological shift, engineers avail a great scope for learning and improvising. They learn new things which empower them to find innovative solutions to existing problems.

How to Start?

In order to initiate a career in engineering, you should choose science (non-medical) as your stream after your 10^th board examinations. These two years of schooling will strengthen your concepts of physics, chemistry and mathematics (PCM) that form the core of engineering studies. After 12^th boards, you need to sit for some of the top engineering entrance examinations of the country including JEE-Main, JEE-Advanced, GATE, BITSAT, etc.

Since these are some of the toughest entrance examinations, you should start your preparations early, preferably from class 11^th only. Clearing these examinations will open your doors for getting a precious B. Tech seat in one of the top engineering colleges in the country. Further, you can also pursue a master’s degree (M. Tech) in the respective field.

Why Medical?

If becoming a doctor has been your childhood dream, you should go ahead and choose the medical stream after your class 10 board examinations. It is a perfect career for you if you feel excited about the world of medical science and want to make the world a healthier place.

According to the top medical professionals, patience and problem-solving skills are the two pillars that build a successful career in the medical domain. Furthermore, if you have the ability to work significantly well under supreme pressure, then medical is the right career choice for you.

Read: Choosing the right career path for yourself – check these tips first

Here are some advantage of choosing medical as a career option:

• Medical (doctors) is considered to be one of the noblest and respected professions in the world. As doctors are responsible for saving several lives each day, they are considered godly figures by society. Your years of hard work, studies and practice will reward you with utmost respect and admiration.
• Medical professionals earn considerably well in their life. Your dedication towards studies and consistent practice can make you rich later on in life. However, the joy and satisfaction of serving society surpass all monetary pleasures.
• The medical field has a very low risk of unemployment. According to reports, there’s a shortage of almost 6 lakh doctors in India.
• A career in medical science is not just limited to doctors. You can also opt for various other sought-after courses like physiotherapy, dental, nutrition, etc.

How to Start?

If you aim to make a career in the field of medicine (or other associated health fields), you need to choose physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) as a part of your school curriculum after your class 10 board examinations.

Further after 12^th boards, you need to appear for various medical examinations including NEET, AIIMS, JIPMER, etc. to pursue MBBS thereafter. Various medical colleges that offer BDS courses also accept the NEET score. However, learning in the medical science field is never-ending. So you may need to opt for specialized diploma courses (MD or MS) after your MBBS.

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Questions You Should Ask Yourself

Medical and Engineering are two of the best fields for students to pursue a career in. But it is extremely important that you make the right career choice in order to lead a settled and orderly life. This will not only provide you with a direction in life but will also encourage you to succeed in a profession that is in sync with your interest areas. Thus, you should make the respective decision after proper brainstorming and counselling.

 

Here are 4 important questions you need to ask yourself beforehand:

• What are my strengths?

In order to make the right career choice, you should first identify your strengths and weaknesses. If you have a strong hold on mathematics along with physics and chemistry, then engineering is the right field for you. However, if biology and zoology fall in your interest areas over mathematics, then medical emerges as a great option for you.

• Am I fascinated with technology or with medicines?

All engineering aspirants are usually interested in the latest innovations and technologies. Thus, if you love technology, engineering is a good option for you.  However, if studying about the human body and health is your forte, you should opt for medical studies.

• Am I prepared to handle the associated pressure?

Pursuing a career in engineering or medical is not as easy as it seems. The respective courses are highly demanding and require you to fully dedicate yourself to studies. So before making a final decision, you should ask yourself whether or not you’re ready to put in the necessary efforts and hard work to succeed in the profession.

• Is this your interest area or external pressure?

It is a known fact that students largely make their decisions under the influence of their parents. According to various counsellors, this situation is not ideal. As a student, you should figure out what’s best for you. Make a decision based on your interest areas and not under the pressure of external factors.

Choosing a career and making up your mind on the basis of public opinion or pressure is not a good idea. Thus, it is extremely important that you thoroughly introspect the two career options and listen to your inner voice in order to make the right career decision.

Read: B.Tech in Electrical Engineering – Everything You Want to Know About the Course

How Aakash helps you?

At Aakash Digital, we provide quality training and assistance to all science enthusiasts, and our experienced and expert teaching faculty efficiently prepares students for both engineering as well as medical entrance examinations. So whether you choose medical or engineering as your preferred career option, we’ll provide you with well-researched and relevant study materials that will guide your preparations in the right direction and help you to ace the entrance examinations.