Deep Dive: Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineers in many cases work together with other professionals in a laboratory setting, as depicted in this image from Careerguide.com
Biomedical engineering is a popular field of engineering for many students due to its interesting sciences, use of engineering principles, and of course, its applications to the medical field. In this career insight article, we’re going to dive deep into the full educational pathway of biomedical engineering and careers one can seek out of this major, while also covering how FInE will be your best friend along this journey.
First, education. Biomedical engineering is known for covering a wide array of subjects, which often makes it a challenging but rewarding major. In terms of sciences, a typical biomedical engineering or bioengineering major can expect to take introductory biology, cell biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and calculus based physics, both mechanics and electricity & magnetism. For mathematics, students must take Calculus I, II, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and Calculus-based probability and statistics. Often, along with these math courses, students take computer science courses as well, often those that teach Python or MATLAB to help with data. The biomedical engineering core classes usually consist of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, Systems physiology, and a design course. Additional electives may be tissue engineering, cell engineering, neuroengineering, drug delivery, bioelectronics and biomechanics.
Next, career prospects. A degree is biomedical engineering alluring because it displays knowledge of the natural sciences and engineering skills, and thus graduates have important skills transferable to a variety of careers. The most obvious career is a biomedical engineer, a job in which people design and manage medical or lab equipment, create artificial organs, or work at the tissue/cell by manipulating biochemical processes to achieve desired outcomes. Often, to become a biomedical engineer, students typically do research and engineering internships during college. Another common career is a physician, as the biomedical knowledge from the major transfers over to the medical field. This does require hard work, as often medical schools require high GPAs, MCAT scores, and lots of extracurricular experience (clinical experience, research, shadowing, non-clinical community service, and leadership), and considering the rigor of the major, it’s often difficult to make time to do these activities. Still, it is not impossible, and the major does cover a majority of required courses for medical school, the only exceptions being a writing course–which is often required by universities for all graduates–and a behavioral health course. With effective time management and planning, it’s still possible to develop a strong extracurricular profile to become a competitive applicant. Other career prospects include chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and even software engineering.
Considering the diverse prospects yet difficulty of this major and career paths, it’s important to have assistance along the way, and we at FInE are here to help. Through our biomedical engineering event, competitors get to work either by themselves or in groups creating a project addressing the year’s task, allowing members to gain field experience and teamwork skills while having an activity that looks fantastic on resumes. If projects and presentations aren’t appealing, FInE offers multiple tests that work well with this major, including our math tests (Precalculus, Calculus I and II), chemistry, biology, physics, and statistics. To develop soft skills, FInE offers the argumentative essay and preparing speaking. FInE-ally, for stronger career experience, competitors can do the career display event to learn more about the career, the CADThinkers design challenge to develop design skills, or the research poster to get recognized for research work–even if it wasn’t done in a lab setting. To start a FInE chapter at your secondary institution, go to the home page and click on the button saying “Start a FInE Chapter” to create a chapter at your school and join the organization, as the more people that join, the more significant these opportunities become. Our talented executive team will connect directly to chapter leaders, thus reducing workload for chapter leaders and helping those who need membership attain it easily. Ultimately, FInE is more than just a club–it's the best organization out there to help you pursue your career.
Bibliography
Ajaz. “6 Career Options to Pursue after Biomedical Engineering -.” Biomedical Engineering as a Dynamic Career Option, CareerGuide, 4 Jan. 2023, www.careerguide.com/career/engineering/6-career-options-to-pursue-after-biomedical-engineering
Wintemute, Doug. “The 6 Essential Med School Prerequisites.” BestColleges.Com, 15 Nov. 2023, www.bestcolleges.com/blog/prerequisite-courses-for-medical-school/
Trent-Gurbuz, C J, and Kara Coleman Fields. “What You Need to Know about Becoming a Biomedical Engineering Major.” What You Need to Know About Becoming a Biomedical Engineering Major, 29 May 2024, www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/biomedical-engineering-major-overview.
