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    Kristin:
    I am somewhat biased but I faced similar questions when I was
    considering going for a PhD bioengineering degree versus going to
    medical school with the engineering degree I had (MS). I am very happy I
    picked medical school. I feel it allows me (just as people predicted) to
    be more in charge of my career. However, some say the physician
    scientist is a dying breed. I think it really depends what you like and
    who you are. Have you considered a combined MD/PhD program?

    Curt DeGroff, MD
    University of Colorado HSC

    P.S. You can get through medical school even if you like math.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Mitch Maltenfort wrote:

    >Kristin:
    >
    >Locally, check out
    >
    >http://engineering.cua.edu/biomedical/index.html
    >
    >Go for the PhD. First, you get a stipend and a tuition waiver; med school
    >makes you pay. Second, if you like math, you will not be happy in med
    >school.
    >
    >
    >Also, check http://www.smpp.nwu.edu, the link for the Sensory-Motor
    >performance program at NU. That is a research program integrated with the
    >PT department.
    >
    >Mitch M.
    >Howdy...
    >
    >I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask this in, so if it is, I
    >
    >apologize in advance.
    >
    >
    >My name is Kristin Pilotte, and I'm a Masters of Science student in
    >
    >Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. My
    >
    >undergraduate degree is a BS in Physics, and I anticipate finishing my MS
    >
    >within a year (by May 2003). However, through my undergraduate and now
    >
    >graduate career, I've felt that I keep coming back to a strong desire to
    >
    >work with people, and work in a rehabilitation field. I went through the
    >
    >intro courses thinking I was going to apply to medical school after I got
    >
    >my BS, but decided fairly early on that I could never tell somebody that
    >
    >they were dying (just a personal issue) and that maybe medical school
    >
    >wasn't for me. I was working, at the time, in the Space Systems Laboratory
    >
    >at UMd, doing design work for a space robot called Ranger Telerobotic
    >
    >Shuttle Experiment. To stay involved with the project after gradaution, I
    >
    >opted to come and get my MS. Now the project is almost done, and all of my
    >
    >work with the robot is pretty much done. I was responsible for designing
    >
    >the end effectors for the dexterous robot to do satellite servicing tasks
    >
    >in space. I'm working on my thesis, which is a trade study on the ability
    >
    >of dexterous robots to do space servicing tasks, and an exploration of what
    >
    >level of dexterity allows you to do certain types of tasks. In my class
    >
    >work, therefore, I've focused mainly on design classes and classes related
    >
    >to human factors and biomechanics--the principles there easily extend to
    >
    >robots, particularly for space applications.
    >
    >
    >Enough of my research and background. The other aspect that's important is
    >
    >that though I decided medical school wasn't for me, I never have given up
    >
    >that I want to work in the orthopaedic rehabilitation field. As a
    >
    >competitive soccer player, rock climber, and in karate, I've had experience
    >
    >in personal injury (double shoulder surgery, sprained right knee with
    >
    >subluxations, chipped left kneecap, lateral ankle reconstruction coming up
    >
    >next week, a few broken fingers, a broken toe, cracked ribs...not all at
    >
    >the same time, of course) thus was looking into going into biomechanics
    >
    >design engineering. However, I'm still afraid of sitting in front of a
    >
    >computer 24/7, so the thought occurred to me to go into physical therapy.
    >
    >
    >I guess my question really becomes this. I'm seriously considering PT
    >
    >school...but given what I want to do, is it possible that medical school
    >
    >(if I could get in) would serve me better for research opportunities? Are
    >
    >there any PTs out there that do engage in research of rehabilitation (both
    >
    >via physical therapy and the use of orthoses, whose design I'm particularly
    >
    >interested in given my experience with knees and ankles) in addition to
    >
    >working with patients? Does anybody out there know if either the
    >
    >University of Maryland system or Johns Hopkins University system have any
    >
    >programs that might allow me to work with patients and do research and
    >
    >apply my biomechanical engineering skills (I ask about those particularly
    >
    >since for family reasons I would prefer to be in this area for a few more
    >
    >years anyway)?
    >
    >
    >Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice anybody could offer, and I
    >
    >apologize again if I've asked my questions in the wrong forum. As I
    >
    >mentioned earlier, I have about a year to figure this stuff out, but I'm
    >
    >trying to start to determine what my next step is.
    >
    >
    >Thanks,
    >
    >kristin pilotte
    >
    >University of Maryland Space Systems Lab
    >
    >
    >
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