From: RMG@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: Physics and/or Medicine
Date: 9 Sep 92 22:02:24 GMT
Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

Kim,

I am an electrical engineer located in Northern California, so my opinions
may not be exactly relevant to you, but they are:

There could be a middle ground that allows you to follow both of your
interests.  I work at a High Energy Physics laboratory.  We have a
department called Health Physics.  Their concern is to make sure that
any radiation exposure we might receive in the course of our work
is not harmful.  Another area of overlap exists in cancer treatment, where
radio-isotopes, X-ray machines, and particle accelerators are used to treat
disease.  New treatments and better designs for the machines might save
many lives.

Some questions to consider are:  Do you like working with people or with
things?  Are abstract concepts more interesting to you, or do you need
tangible results?  How much do you like Math?  Chemistry?  Psychology?
Do you want to work in a University where you will be teaching and doing
research?  Do you want to work in a hospital?  What about a government
sponsored laboratory?  How do you feel about someone taking a discovery of
yours and developing it for commercial purposes?  What if they developed
it for military purposes?  Would you want to develop it yourself?

There probably are many more questions one could ask.  As you examine
your answers (and think of additional questions) you may be able to sort
out which field you wish to pursue first; Physics or Medicine.  You could
possibly come back to the other field later, for additional education
beyond completing your degree in the first field.  Remember that education
is a life-long process, and that you will never know all you would like
to know.

I do not believe that you should try to follow both fields for long,
however, as each field will demand all of your time.  You may find that
even in just one field, you still do not have enough hours in the day.

Perhaps you could interview some M.D.s to get an idea of what their lives
are like.  Do the same with Physicists.  Try to find some medical
researchers to interview, too.  Ask each of them if they can recommend
someone else you should talk to.  They may have some suggestions which
help you to gain a perspective from which you can make your decision.

There may be some factors about each field that become important to you,
that you haven't thought of yet, as you interview people from the various
fields.  Feel free to ask questions; most people are interested in talking
about their field and about what they would say to a person wanting to enter
that field.  Try to structure your interviews, however, as most of the
people you will be interviewing are quite busy and their time is valuable.

Good Luck!  You did the right thing by posting your question.  I believe
that there is no such thing as a dumb question.  If there really IS a dumb
question; it is the one you were afraid to ask for fear that someone might
laugh.

Bob     :-)

The usual disclaimers:  I am not speaking for the Stanford Linear Accelerator
Center, the DOE, or Stanford University.  I may not even be speaking for
myself!
Newsgroups: sci.physics