Can Steve Transition from Healthcare to Aerospace with an MD/MBA?

[srfrancis]

Lurking for a longtime, finally wanted to jump in.

Long story short, I've been interested in aerospace since middle school, taught myself a lot after learning calc in high school. I was urged by my parents to pursue medicine for the money (mother was a secretary to a nuclear engineer with many negative connotations due mainly to her company/industry), so I did, got a BS in biomed engineering and biochemistry, now finishing my MD and MBA. Needless to say, healthcare is not for me. Medical science is great, but patients generally are not. I went for the joint MBA figuring that I could at best parlay it to either consulting or a medtech/biotech job to pay off the bills (~250k) which I am applying to now. A masters in AE was not allowed in our program, I asked.

So now I'm trying to see how I can get into aerospace. Unfortunately self taught knowledge went out with the 1800's, so I need some sort of proof of ability, possibly a masters? Anyway, these were the possibilities I could come up with. Ideas?

MD/MBA -> consulting -> aerospace
MD/MBA -> medtech/biotech -> work for a while, maybe get masters with enough finances ->aerospace, alma is USC which has a distance degrees
MD/MBA -> aerospace medicine -> aerospace only 2 civilian residencies in US, and Id prefer never to see another patient in my life
MD/MBA -> aerospace applying for some internships this summer, hoping I get a hit

Thanks for any help.
Steve

 

[Ben Espen]

Steve,

If you really want to get into Aerospace engineering [I am assuming you mean engineering or other technical work since you did not say], I think your second listed option will probably work best. If I were hiring aeronautical engineers, I would probably pass on someone with your educational background if there were candidates with appropriate education or experience. I'm not knocking your education, it is just in a very different discipline.

However, if you are interested in the aerospace field in general, there may be some hope. There are such things as human factors engineers in aerospace who have to evaluate how well a human being can use the machines in question under operating conditions. You have to be aware that most jobs that use the words "human factors engineer" mean human-computer interface design, but there is some need to evaluate the actual, physical activities that people do inside of machines traveling at high velocities as well.

Elsewise, have you considered a job in medical devices? I work in this industry, and there would be many opportunities for someone with your education that do not ever involve working directly with patients. If what you say about your student debt is correct, you may want to consider skipping any additional school until you are paid off.