$$Engineer Vs Medicine (PROS AND CONS)

[kinnie]

Heyy guys im 15 years old (female)
And im about to make the biggest decision in my life and i'd like some help, yes I have asked my parents, and no they were unable to answer because they know nothing about it.

So i'm in form3 and I have to choose my subjects at the end of form three (3)

I wanna do medicine or be a mechanical engineer then do my masters in petroleum engineer. Which is what 4 years in total? If I get masters

I have tons of questions

1.Can I work abroad (US)
If I get my degree and sheit in engineer right, would I be able to like travel to US and work abroad?

2.Whats the salary?
Whats the salary of a mechanical+petroleum engineer+doctor (obgyn) Starting salary, mid salary.

3.How many years of study?
How long would it take to be a doctor/engineer?


Doctor

I have no problem being a doctor but it just takes away too much years of my life, I dont mind paying student loans, being committed to it but if im correct after all that studying you'll officially be a doctor in your late 20s and I don't want to have children that late.

Please if you know anything answer me below because I wannna make the correct decision



Thanks for taking you time to read this.

[kinnie]

Seems like no one can give me a straight answer, lets say I take science in secondary school:

How long does it take to be a doctor (obgyn)

How long does it take to be a engineer?
Bachelor in mechanical and masters in petroleum

Oh and how long is CAPE? I've been told its 2 years.. good or nah?

Im going into a science class soon then I want to do CAPE then either do engineer or medicine, depends on how much years.
Im asking because I wanna be prepared (most people arent)

[Daran]

Lol ok cape is 2 years.

Eng is 3 and MSc is 1.

Med is 5 years and you'll need to go away to become an obgyn. US is 4 years and UK 3.

[Daran]

Petroleum is a dying field. Trust me. You 15? By the time you finish masters in 8 years....

[neexis]

Age 15 and you're already limiting yourself to just those two options?

Considering the $$ in your thread title, you should probably not do medicine. In Trinidad that program will take you at least 5 years to complete. Bear in mind that the majority of graduates from the last 3 years have been unemployed since, so they make around $0. right now. People who "don't mind" being a doctor usually have no idea what the training and work entails.

If you are looking at careers based on how much money you can make, you should probably do more research into other options, eg. finance. Even with sciences you can do any of these things.

Something to think about: What is more important here, a career that makes you money or doing something that you can actually enjoy?

[R3TROB3N]

I second this, DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF. And if you considering the Income both fields do pay fairly well BUT it really depends on the COMPANY AND YOUR ABILITY TO LAND A JOB+ EXPERIENCE. What a lot of young ppl don't realize that your income is dependent on how experienced you are in the specific field, every TOM DICK HARRY HAVE a medical or engineering degree so its really the experience would net you the "hyped" income everyone be telling you about. =12-30K but depends on the experience.

Now in terms of time
Engineering is about 5 years minimum to go from undergraduate to Masters plus the other training you would need to learn on the side (engineers hadda learn more things that wah UWI/UTT will teach yah) along with the mandatory 2-3 years training (cause no company gonna hire a green engineer jusso to go mash up their plant).

Now To Work Abroad
Foreign don't give a sheit about Trinidadian Engineers unless you bring REAL VALUE to the table, (Thus I fall back on the experience) but lets say you mean at the fresh graduate level, it is expected to hadda pull a 3.5/4.0 GPA (Or First Class Honours) to really gt with foreign (mind you the requirements can be lower but this is the standard and well it would make your life much easier). (I know UTT have some options but I believe UWI is still respected more internationally. Better yet if you apply for a open scholarship or earn one from any of the foreign universities then you will be much better off to get started internationally wise. (CAPE is a must)

Doctor
Income
Expect the same income range and similar with YOUR FIELD EXPERIENCE WOULD DICTATE YOUR INCOME (PLUS OTHER FACTORS)
Years of study
Now I know a medical student personally and for her it was expected that medicine would have taken her 7 to 8 years.
5 being for the expected medical education and the remaining 2-3 years for specialization. AND YOU HAVE TO TRAIN FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS if I not mistaken before the Medical Board can grant you a license to practice medicine.

Foreign
See above.

Now I will reiterate that DO NOT LIMITED YOURSELF cause a problem a lot of young ppl have is they see that Engineering, Law Or Medicine is the only respectable fields it have in Trinidad And Tobago and THAT IS A BIG LIE. It have many other awesome fields that you can get fulfillment in life and mind you (EITHER OF THESE FIELDS IS LEVEL HARD WORK) don't let the idea that you will be in a office and collect a fat pay at the end of the month jusso its serious hell and know engineers and doctors who can agree. These are fields you truly must have a drive and passion to dive in, not something you hear sound nice and you could just slide in norms.

PS both fields require sciences (CHEM, PHYSICS, BIO along with good understanding of English and Maths, More so with Maths if you plan on doing engineering) so doh make that decision now in your life.. wait till you finish csec then decide.

Goodluck

[ismithx]

As the others have said, don't limit yourself to these two choices. Talk to different people in different sectors, find out about their jobs, the industry etc, give yourself some choices.

Also petroleum is a declining industry, the world is trying to move away from fossil fuels

[SimSimmer69]

You can always become an airline pilot. It's a very rewarding career.

[Mark007]

You need to ask yourself which one of those two fields are you more passionate about. Then consider the subjects required to pursue them - Bio & Chem vs Math & Physics. Also the associated lifestyles...both can be extremely demanding, and you either spend most of your hours in a hospital or an industrial plant. However, after all this if you're still undecided, I'd say go for Med, especially in this present economy. Just make sure you have some passion for whatever choice you make.

[Mark007]

You can always become an airline pilot. It's a very rewarding career.

Yes, provided one can afford the tuition etc. I believe it's best to pursue it in one of those foreign schools as well.

[Mark007]

You need to decide what you want to be by Form 5 latest, as this will directly influence what subjects you choose for CAPE.

[kinnie]

Petroleum is a dying field. Trust me. You 15? By the time you finish masters in 8 years....

Thanks for letting me know appreciated

[kinnie]

Age 15 and you're already limiting yourself to just those two options?

Considering the $$ in your thread title, you should probably not do medicine. In Trinidad that program will take you at least 5 years to complete. Bear in mind that the majority of graduates from the last 3 years have been unemployed since, so they make around $0. right now. People who "don't mind" being a doctor usually have no idea what the training and work entails.

If you are looking at careers based on how much money you can make, you should probably do more research into other options, eg. finance. Even with sciences you can do any of these things.

Something to think about: What is more important here, a career that makes you money or doing something that you can actually enjoy?

Both actually, I don't "want" money, I need money to support myself in the future and my family but it doesn't play a big role in which career I chose, engineer (with masters) is 8 years and medicine is 10 (from what i've heard) still don't know which to chose, hopefully as I grow more i'll be able to understand what I want, but thanks for sharing your thoughts

[kinnie]

I second this, DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF. And if you considering the Income both fields do pay fairly well BUT it really depends on the COMPANY AND YOUR ABILITY TO LAND A JOB+ EXPERIENCE. What a lot of young ppl don't realize that your income is dependent on how experienced you are in the specific field, every TOM DICK HARRY HAVE a medical or engineering degree so its really the experience would net you the "hyped" income everyone be telling you about. =12-30K but depends on the experience.

Now in terms of time
Engineering is about 5 years minimum to go from undergraduate to Masters plus the other training you would need to learn on the side (engineers hadda learn more things that wah UWI/UTT will teach yah) along with the mandatory 2-3 years training (cause no company gonna hire a green engineer jusso to go mash up their plant).

Now To Work Abroad
Foreign don't give a sheit about Trinidadian Engineers unless you bring REAL VALUE to the table, (Thus I fall back on the experience) but lets say you mean at the fresh graduate level, it is expected to hadda pull a 3.5/4.0 GPA (Or First Class Honours) to really gt with foreign (mind you the requirements can be lower but this is the standard and well it would make your life much easier). (I know UTT have some options but I believe UWI is still respected more internationally. Better yet if you apply for a open scholarship or earn one from any of the foreign universities then you will be much better off to get started internationally wise. (CAPE is a must)

Doctor
Income
Expect the same income range and similar with YOUR FIELD EXPERIENCE WOULD DICTATE YOUR INCOME (PLUS OTHER FACTORS)
Years of study
Now I know a medical student personally and for her it was expected that medicine would have taken her 7 to 8 years.
5 being for the expected medical education and the remaining 2-3 years for specialization. AND YOU HAVE TO TRAIN FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS if I not mistaken before the Medical Board can grant you a license to practice medicine.

Foreign
See above.

Now I will reiterate that DO NOT LIMITED YOURSELF cause a problem a lot of young ppl have is they see that Engineering, Law Or Medicine is the only respectable fields it have in Trinidad And Tobago and THAT IS A BIG LIE. It have many other awesome fields that you can get fulfillment in life and mind you (EITHER OF THESE FIELDS IS LEVEL HARD WORK) don't let the idea that you will be in a office and collect a fat pay at the end of the month jusso its serious hell and know engineers and doctors who can agree. These are fields you truly must have a drive and passion to dive in, not something you hear sound nice and you could just slide in norms.

PS both fields require sciences (CHEM, PHYSICS, BIO along with good understanding of English and Maths, More so with Maths if you plan on doing engineering) so doh make that decision now in your life.. wait till you finish csec then decide.

Goodluck

Alright but im preparing myself, I know what I want and what I gotta do to get there, yes i've limited myself but I wanna kinda contribute to the country, when I die I wanna die as someone who gave something to the country, not as a accountant or anything like that, so thats why im interested in medicine or engineer even tho I gotta work hard and put in the years (plus I really like biology)

[kinnie]

You can always become an airline pilot. It's a very rewarding career.

Nahh, what if I crash? Lol

[abbow]

There are many fields to choose from...dont let the "work for big money" fool you. Feeling trapped in a office all day for money that vanishes in a few days isnt all that rewarding.

When I was your age, the internet was not around and cellphones were far off...we had limited knowledge and options for careers... there is vast amount of information available to you to help you make this choice yourself when the time is right.

[kinnie]

There are many fields to choose from...dont let the "work for big money" fool you. Feeling trapped in a office all day for money that vanishes in a few days isnt all that rewarding.

When I was your age, the internet was not around and cellphones were far off...we had limited knowledge and options for careers... there is vast amount of information available to you to help you make this choice yourself when the time is right.

As I said, I appreciate the reply but Im not money hungry lol I wanna wear a proud title you know, I wanna have a good job I wanna give to the country, also considering job availability in the next 8-10 years, risks of the job, and how many years of education I need to put down in order to be that

[kinnie]

So let's say I chose medicine, im 15 in form 3 (3rd term)

How much years would it take for me to officially be a doctor? After intern

Cause I been googling sheit whole month lol and they keep putting USA stuff and I from trinidad

[Daran]

So let's say I chose medicine, im 15 in form 3 (3rd term)

How much years would it take for me to officially be a doctor? After intern

Cause I been googling sheit whole month lol and they keep putting USA stuff and I from trinidad

GP or specialist?

[Zetski]

Hey kin, I was browsing through and realized you liked biology.. when I was younger I wanted to be a doctor myself but when I got into form 4 my interest changed completely.

I would recommend pursuing medicine than engineering because
1) More diverse (specialists, veterinary, pediatrician etc..)
2) Less stress (when it comes to getting a job)
3) Your contribution is noticed far more.
4)Technology is changing so rapidly that being an engineer is a liability.

Cons with Medicine
1) I hope you have belly to deal with dissecting a dead carcass..
2) A lot of reading
3) Responsibility

You never know when your interest would change.. you're pretty young and I admire the effort and interest in early preparation but take your time when deciding no need to rush that will only cause you to make a decision you would regret.

[kinnie]

Hey kin, I was browsing through and realized you liked biology.. when I was younger I wanted to be a doctor myself but when I got into form 4 my interest changed completely.

I would recommend pursuing medicine than engineering because
1) More diverse (specialists, veterinary, pediatrician etc..)
2) Less stress (when it comes to getting a job)
3) Your contribution is noticed far more.
4)Technology is changing so rapidly that being an engineer is a liability.

Cons with Medicine
1) I hope you have belly to deal with dissecting a dead carcass..
2) A lot of reading
3) Responsibility

You never know when your interest would change.. you're pretty young and I admire the effort and interest in early preparation but take your time when deciding no need to rush that will only cause you to make a decision you would regret.

Thanks for your thoughts but how long would it take for me to be a doctor? I'll be 27-28 years right?

Cape=2 - Degree=3 - then Medical School=5 - then internship/residency=1

[kinnie]

Oh thank god, my teacher was giving me false information lmao telling me that i cud be a doctor at age 23 and thing

[kinnie]

Lol ok cape is 2 years.

Eng is 3 and MSc is 1.

Med is 5 years and you'll need to go away to become an obgyn. US is 4 years and UK 3.

Why do I need to go away, can't I study medicine in UWI?

[randolphinshan]

Hey kin, I was browsing through and realized you liked biology.. when I was younger I wanted to be a doctor myself but when I got into form 4 my interest changed completely.

I would recommend pursuing medicine than engineering because
1) More diverse (specialists, veterinary, pediatrician etc..)
2) Less stress (when it comes to getting a job)
3) Your contribution is noticed far more.
4)Technology is changing so rapidly that being an engineer is a liability.

Cons with Medicine
1) I hope you have belly to deal with dissecting a dead carcass..
2) A lot of reading
3) Responsibility

You never know when your interest would change.. you're pretty young and I admire the effort and interest in early preparation but take your time when deciding no need to rush that will only cause you to make a decision you would regret.

Thanks for your thoughts but how long would it take for me to be a doctor? I'll be 27-28 years right?

Cape=2 - Degree=3 - then Medical School=5 - then internship/residency=1

OP apparently there is a lot of money to be made buying and selling cars.
Medicine hard to get I and harder to get out plus the money comes from specialist title.

[abducted]

Becoming a doctor by 23 is not impossible but you will be an intern at a health center or hospital, you will have to go away to specialize in ObGyn.

[iarmd1]

I’m in the industry and the engineering field is dying out. Every year 100+ graduate uwi and can’t get a job because most plants in the industry normally have like 3-4 engineers max and you do the maths. A lot of engineers I know are teachers now. If you do you masters also straight after your get degree then it will be even harder to get a job because then you will be over qualified with no experience. If they take in trainees normally it’s under the graduate in training program but if you have your masters then no luck for you. I have a friend who did medicine in Trinidad uwi she’s a doctor now but she only got recognized and hired full time at the age of 31.

[tr1ad]

here's a tip from someone 20+ years in the industry (O&G).... don't .. not locally at least.. very difficult to get something outside..

everyone and their nana locally thinks the industry is the way to go, because of the fancy salary/perks most get... look at the grad listing with engineers etc - most grads only get project management roles now - not even actual engineering work

the O&G industry is both saturated and on the decline

as others have suggested do not limit yourself to just two options - many many other fields to choose from

you mentioned you'd like to contribute locally, which is great - but in this country which is full of nepotism and corruption - just a dream at the moment; it'd be who wants to know you and give you the shot.

if contribution to society is something you'd like to explore, the field of medicine / science is probably the best way forward

you need to ask yourself, out of those two options you've presented, is it what you really want to do or just believe that it's your calling...


good luck

[Cantmis]

Op sell food/cook. Food must sell.

[kinnie]

So let's say I chose medicine, im 15 in form 3 (3rd term)

How much years would it take for me to officially be a doctor? After intern

Cause I been googling sheit whole month lol and they keep putting USA stuff and I from trinidad

GP or specialist?

GP

[lalloboy101]

OP, your aspirations are great but in reality a lot of younger people think this way and the truth is the workforce is already saturated with a lot of degreed individuals, many whom work in jobs not aligned to their qualifications and some cant find work at all. The thing is everyone wants the top jobs because of the misconception of success or whatever justifiable reason.
A decent life cant be afforded in other jobs, some even without a degree. In this time one needs to think 'outside the box' as conventional ways don't work anymore.
For example, I know a few technicians who make more than engineers, they don't have a degree but they are regarded higher than engineers based on the service they provide, hence the justification for a higher salary.