January 3, 2004
A: FROM MENTOR DENISE HARBERT IN IL
Kyungmin, you have an excellent problem!!! Being good in so many different
subjects may make it difficult for you to narrow your choices, but it can be
good too - you should be able to find a job regardless of what the economy is
like. Depending on what school you go to, you may have some problems double
majoring. Often, big universities are divided into a dozen or so "colleges".
Students are usually expected to pick one college to graduate from. Chemistry
and Mathematics are typically subjects found in a "college of Letters and
Science", or, some universities have restructured recently to put them in a
"college of Technology". In most schools, chemistry and math are in the same
college so you can easily double major in them. However, economics is often
found in a "college of business", which is usually separated from math and
chemistry. It may be more difficult to double major in economics and math, or
economics and chemistry. The same is true of engineering majors, which are
typically in a "college of engineering". The good news is that university
leaders always appreciate smart students. If you are determined enough, you
can find a way to double major in any two subjects on campus. Make an effort
to meet your dean and build a relationship with him/her. Deans have a lot of
power on campus and can usually "pull strings" to allow a student to do things
that are unusual. Even if your university has a policy against double
majoring in subjects from different colleges, there is almost certainly a way
around that rule. You just have to find the right person on campus who can
help you do it.

Your interests do actually complement each other, even if they are in
different colleges. "Medicine" is a HUGE category that is not just limited to
becoming a doctor or nurse. Hospitals are businesses, after all, so they must
be run by people who understand business concepts as well as the medical
industry. A person who knows economics, math, and chemistry may be ideal to
run a hospital. There are also a lot of engineering fields related to
medicine. Someone has to build the machines and medical devices that doctors
use to treat patients. About a year ago, a GEM-SET student named Jennifer
asked a bunch of questions about bioengineering. See the answers at:
http://www.uic.edu/orgs/gem-set/archive040105q4.htm
to see if you might be interested in some of the bio- and medical- related
engineering careers
described there. My answer refers to two other student questions, whose
answers are at:
http://www.uic.edu/orgs/gem-set/archive040105q5.htm (SUNG C. IN TX)
And
http://www.uic.edu/orgs/gem-set/archive040105q6.htm (PUI F. IN IL)

Your interests are very broad so there are many different ways you could go
from here. I recommend that you continue to take classes in all of the
subjects you like until you figure out which one or two you like best. Take
your time and don't let anyone make you feel pressured into narrowing your
interests too soon. The longer you pursue all three subjects, the more you
will know about your choices and the easier it will be for you to choose one
of them or switch between the three. Even if you don't major in all three,
taking advanced courses in all three would probably allow you to go to
graduate school in any of the three. You could pick one to major in, work in
it for a while, then change your mind and go back to school for a Master's
degree in one of the subjects you didn't pick originally. If you don't take
advanced courses in all three subjects, then you may need to make up some
classes before you can get into a Master's program in that subject. Good luck
and don't worry about making a choice right away. You have time!

December 22, 2004
A: FROM MENTOR MARCELINA MARTINEZ IN NM

It sounds like Chemical Engineering might be a good field for you.

I can't speak to the efficiency of having a double major of ChE and Economics, however. Engineers typically take a couple of economics classes (macro-economics and engineering economy) so if you're interested in more economics than that you might want to look into a double major if it isn't too much more work.

If you want a career in medicine you can do a minor in chemistry, take a couple of biology classes and I believe you will have a pre-med degree as well. Look into this at the colleges you are interested in. Either way, I know that it is fully possible that you can do a B.S. in ChE (along with some biology courses) and be set to go into a medical field. I know of people who have done this. And perhaps you can throw in some economics as well. This will give you a degree that utilizes mathematics, chemistry and something that you can always "fall-back" on if you decide against the medical field. But it will also afford you the opportunity to going into a medical profession.
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A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK IN RI
You have a lot of company in your indecision about a major, and
luckily in the US educational system you don't have to decide right
away. Of course colleges are interested in your views right now -
they want to admit a balanced class that fits their ranges of faculty
and course offerings. But they know that more often than not an
incoming student will change her mind, perhaps several times.

The pre-med requirements are few enough that you can major in just
about anything, using those requirements as elective courses from the
point of view of your major. So explore areas that are new to you;
take courses from legendary great professors; follow your heart. You
can still qualify for medical school. An unusual major can even make
you stand out from all the bio majors in the med school application
race. But who knows - you may fall in love with biology. there's no
single right answer.

Best of luck in your odyssey.