Switching from Another Industry to Engineering/CS?

WomensHealth asks: "I am a physician, but contemplating a career change perhaps 5 to 10 years down the road. In addition to medicine, what I've always loved is computers and technology, and I think I have a pretty good appreciation for both. What tips could computer industry insiders offer to one who is willing to pursue an independent educational path towards a career in a Computer Science field? MIT's OpenCourseWare seems well put-together, though one can't get a degree using it. How can an old newcomer break into the industry?"

Comments

Sure shot...

[btlzu2]

How can an old newcomer break into the industry?

I'd recommend this...

Re:Sure shot...

[TelcusFreshbreeze]

Or.......Become an IT manager and send other people to India!

Cha-ching!

Re:Sure shot...

[Anonymous Coward]

I think EVERYBODY should have an above average salary.

D

Re:Sure shot...

[Daengbo]

In Soviet India, they send the job to you.

Move to India

[hoggoth]

1) Switch from Medicine to Computer Science
2) Move to India
3) ??
4) Profit!

CS = currently seeking employment

[Anonymous Coward]

Stay a doctor and help all the poor uninsured IT folks

-1 Troll

[hoggoth]

This is the first time I've seen a TROLL ARTICLE!

Re:-1 Troll

[Anonymous Coward]

You must be new here.

Re:-1 Troll

[gregfortune]

I'd say you're new here, but that's a pretty low uid. What's *your* excuse? :)

Re:-1 Troll

[kfg]

I'm a freaking moron.

Ah, don't sweat it. The evidence suggests you'll fit in here just fine.

KFG

Re:Well...

[dacarr]

You're right, you're more likely to take lives when you get into IT. =O.o=

Insulting question

[jelson]

This question is insulting.

How would you feel if you got the following question from a patient?

I am a computer scientist, but contemplating a career change perhaps 5 to 10 years down the road. In addition to computers, what I've always loved is anatomy and biology, and I think I have a pretty good appreciation for both. What tips could medical industry insiders offer to one who is willing to pursue an independent educational path towards a career in a Medical field? I'd like to start operating on people right away; Gray's Anatomy seems like a good guide, though I apparently can't get a license by reading it. How can an old newcomer break into the industry?

Irritating poster - stop it

[Anonymous Coward]

I keep seeing the above list each day, under different subjects. If you have nothing to tell, don't post anything please.

Re:Irritating poster - stop it

[gabec]

Dear AC: This is slashdot. It's comment threads are full of what are known--in the vernacular--as "inside jokes." These "inside jokes" are pulled from various sources of pop culture; take the aforementioned post as an example. This particular variation on a theme is taken from a particularly uproarious episode of the television program commonly referred to as "South Park" or "Goddamn Funny Little Bastards in Colorado". I shall now demonstrate by means of a quote, but first a description:

Imagine, if you will, garden gnomes come to life. Yes, as insane as it may appear to you and me, these things truly do happen. Unforunately their voices are affected by their transformation from cheap plaster to living flesh, so in the following quote please envision it being read about three octaves too high for human ears to hear:

"Step one: Steal underpants.
Step two ..............
Step three: profit!"

Re:Jeepers...

[Soko]

I always thought doctors were supposed to be smart.

I thought the same about my fellow geeks. To wit:

Unless you got stuck being an anusologist, stay with medicine.

Anusologist? I believe proctologist is the correct term - google is your friend.

Actually, I think SCO could realy, really use a computer person who is also a skilled proctologist - that way someone would be there to remove Darl's head from his ass.

Soko

The poster was a physician, right?

[r_j_prahad]

Then you must mean...
1) ...
2) Move BACK to India.
...

Six Step program

[Boglin]

1. Send me your picture
2. If we look alike, we'll trade lives
3. You become a low level coder.
4. I get arrested for practicing medicine without a liscense.
5. We sell the movie rights to our story (Rowan Atkinson will play both parts).
6. There is NO number six.
7. Profit

skip IT.

[chunkwhite86]

I would recommend becoming an airport skycap, a washed-up athlete, or possibly the CEO of a poorly performing US company. That's where the money is these days.

Have a look.

Advice

[lone_marauder]

So you want to get into the IT field? Great. Here's some tips:

• Get your buggy from a drugstore. When the cops bust your panhandling, they're less likely to care about it than if you'd taken one from Wal-Mart.
• Plastic makes great insulation. ensconce yourself in piles of it in the city park to keep warm at night.
• Don't work the same street corner more than once a week. It annoys the commuters and they'll give you less and less, even if you've found a really good spot.
• Don't dig through trash in the summer. It isn't worth it.
• Always keep your exit strategy in mind. You could always work for the mob or become an Alaskan crab fisherman.

Re:Medicine + Electrical Engineering = Prosthetics

[Skyfire]

Hey, especially if Bush gets reelected!
More wars = More lost limbs = more demand for prosthetics = Profit!

Women's Health & Eng/CS

[Anonymous Coward]

Just to be completely off topic...

You're a doctor, dealing in Women's Health.

If you switch to Engineering/CS, you can pretty much kiss anything with deal women's health goodbye. You know what I mean, don't you? You can't have everything! :)

The closest you'll get is pr0n, hopefully not Goatse.cx, if you turn into a geek, or at least your powers will be greatfully diminished.

Intro to CS?

[appleLaserWriter]

You may want to start with a language class in Mandarin or Hindi...

Here's a good tip

[Anonymous Coward]

"How can an old newcomer break into the industry?"

Move to India?

Cheap shot but ...

[lawrencekhoo]

keep in mind most of the people I know aren't even getting the average.

That's especially sad since here at Lake Woebegone, all the children are above average.

For the love of god man-

[evil_one666]

For the love of god man-stay in medisin.

you get to help people, meet people, make a difference and have co-workers who might a) be female b)not generally have serious problems socially

Exactly, find a Niche.

[Stone316]

If your really interested in getting into IT your best bet is to find a job that requires a background in medicine.

I'm sure there are plenty of companies out there that would love to have a CS person that has a strong background in medicine. You would probably have valuable insight that a normal CS person wouldn't have because of your experiences.

I have a Doctor friend and one thing i've noticed is that they have alot of contacts in the pharmaceutical industry. I would think that some of these companies are developing software for your industry and would be looking for someone with your experience.