M.D. interested in working on medical software start-ups - HELP!

Hello everyone. I'm a medical student on leave between my 3rd and 4th years to earn an MS in computer science. My goal is to eventually work as a software engineer in CTO/co-founder type positions in medical software companies. I am not planning on pursuing residency, but rather planning on going straight to work in the software industry as soon as I've finished the MS and MD programs. Here are some questions I'm having a hard time finding answers to:

- Am I crippled or at least at a major disadvantage pursuing graduate studies in CS instead of software engineering? My university doesn't offer degrees in software engineering.

- If I am at a disadvantage, can I expect to learn software engineering on the job? What type of job would best prepare me for this?

- How would you suggest best using my M.D.? Not many people holding M.D.s go into software engineering, and although this means there isn't much precedence available for consultation, my hope is that it will lend me an advantage.

- My undergraduate degree is in biology and mathematics, not CS. My switch to the study of technology is relatively recent, within the last two years. How unattractive will this make me look to an employer? How can I best overcome this shortcoming?

- I have a prodigious amount of med school debt. How can I maximize my earning potential as I'm getting me feet on the ground as soon as I'm out of school? What are some likely salary ranges for someone in my position?

Remember, I'll be an M.D., but instead of doing residency and practicing residency, I want to work towards CTO-type positions in exciting and new medical software companies (I want to use my understanding of the health care system and intimate understanding of physicians' needs to design and build marketable, valuable, and helpful applications for the health care industry at home or abroad).

Many thanks to everyone!

I think an MS in computer Science is a waste of time, not to be mean. You are better off with an MD any day. If you want to do research with your MD then you should an MD/PhD combination program, maybe specializing in biomedical engineering. i have never heard of MDs going into Software Engineering. Don't expect to get an MD salary working as a Software Engineer. If you want a software position at a medical company, I can't see a company choosing you over a more experienced software engineer just because you have an MD.