@Data10, If I believed that that there was an only a 1% differential, I’d tell everyone to choose engineering. It has the best job potential if the candidate fails to get into medical school.
I also understand that engineers (and math and physics majors), BMEs in particular, have high test scores. Engineers in general are sharp and have solid work ethic.
The reason I don’t believe the differential to only be 1% is that the number one factor in determining medical school admission is GPA. Earning a high GPA in engineering at any school is difficult and at some, it is brutally difficult. As a result, picking the major that is the best backup has a higher chance of resulting in a student in said backup.
The ONLY time I’d recommend engineering as a pre-professional degree is if the student is truly conflicted about medical school and wants to hold it out as an option, but is also passionate about math and physics and really desires to be an engineer. Otherwise, if medical is goal 1, 2, and 3, there are better majors.