<p>I'd like to hear what you guys have to say on what you know of each(when it comes to getting a Master's Degree)...I know I can go on the internet and hunt, but sometimes just talking to people is enough...any help is appreciated...</p>
<p>thanks...</p>
<p>I consider Bioinformatics to be a subcategory of BME.
(this might not be correct though)
What do you want to know more specifically?</p>
<p>Bioinformatics is more CS related, a lot of research in the area deals with genetics, sequences etc... I would also agree with scorp that it is a subcategory, and more narrow, than BME as a whole. BME is very broad, go to this website for more info about it:
BMES</a> - Biomedical Engineering Society</p>
<p>What's wrong with small letters?</p>
<p>I honestly don't know what I'd like to do. I'm getting my Bachelor's in Biology right now, and I already have a degree in Information Technology. In the 6 years of programming I did before going back to school, i only liked doing SQL, and database stuff(SQL Server 2000.) (COBOL sucked)</p>
<p>So my options for a Master's Degree are Computer Science, Biotechnology, and Biomedical Engineering. Between those 3, Biomedical Engineering sounds the most interesting...but I wonder if it'd be a bad choice considering it might make more sense to go the Computer Science route. As far as Biotechnology, I'm interested in that too, it's just that I'd like to make sure i'm making decent money(i'm married with a 2 year old.)</p>
<p>When I started this thread, I was looking to pick brains about the 2 topics, see what you guys had in terms of pros and cons...i'm thankful you guys responded...</p>
<p>vic</p>
<p>
[quote]
I know I can go on the internet and hunt, but sometimes just talking to people is enough
[/quote]
And where do you suppose many of us who do not major in these areas get our information?</p>
<p>Anyway, BME is more of the application of engineering to solve medical problems, so the choices are fairly broad. Bioinformatics focuses on a lot on analysis of data (eg. using efficient algorithms to find patterns in protein folding).</p>
<p>
[quote]
As far as Biotechnology, I'm interested in that too, it's just that I'd like to make sure i'm making decent money(i'm married with a 2 year old.)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It's not as though biotech and BME are unemployable or low-paying.</p>
<p>
[quote]
It's not as though biotech and BME are unemployable or low-paying.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>They're not low-paying, they're just *lower-*paying than other comparable tech companies.</p>
<p>In fairness, it should also be pointed that biotech companies are also noted for offering excellent benefits and, generally, a high quality of life.</p>
<p>does biotech mostly mean microbiology jobs, or pharmaceutical jobs?</p>
<p>is it fair to say that BME has a broader area to work with?</p>
<p>
[quote]
does biotech mostly mean microbiology jobs, or pharmaceutical jobs?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Both, the way I'm using it. I might also include areas like medical device design.</p>
<p>
[quote]
is it fair to say that BME has a broader area to work with?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Compared to bioinformatics I would say so, but I'm not an expert in bioinformatics subfields and job opportunities.</p>
<p>so what kind of curriculum are you going through?</p>
<p>Cypher, have you considered becoming involved with clinical trial management with those qualifications? Someone with background in IT, biology, and possibly an advanced degree in bioinformatics or BME would be able to easily fit in a clinical trial management team in pharmaceutical, drug delivery, or implantable device fields.</p>
<p>Most of our clinical trial management people have a bachelor's degree in a technical field or a nursing degree, but those with Master's degrees usually move into a clinical trial leader position after a few years experience on the teams. With the database tools necessary to gather and analyze the trial data, someone with knowledge of the design and implementation of databases would have a leg up on others competing for the positions.</p>
<p>Most implantable medical device manufacturers are now moving into the realm of remote management of devices. Most implanted devices (i.e. pacers, ICDs, drug pumps, monitoring systems) have to ability to be interrogated and to have their data transmitted to a remote database. This information can be made accessible to physicians through the internet. Again, someone with a database background and advanced degrees in BME or bioinformatics may be seen as a prime candidate for these positions.</p>
<p>As for salaries, check any major manufacturer's website to look at what clinical trial positions pay. It's not chicken feed. Most companies will try to field new devices on a regular (12-18 month) basis, so effectively managed clinical trials have a direct impact on the company's bottom line.</p>
<p>Scrubs do you have more information about this? Any links or companies I can look up? Thanks.</p>
<p>no kidding! i'd like some more info too! thank you so much scrubs...that sounds like something I can get into...sounds like it would never get boring...always something new...</p>
<p>you said "Most of our clinical trial management people "...what do you do for your company?</p>
<p>After working in product development for a number of years developing pacers, defibrillators, and heart failure devices, I transitioned into the field as a Field Clinical Engineer. I set up and supervise clinical trial operations in my multi-state territory in the central region of the country. My primary role is to identify centers and physicians who will be productive participants in IDE (pre-market) clinical trials and directed preliminary research, assure prompt and effective data collection, train physicians, nurses, and field staff, and participate in implants and follow-ups as the technical representative. Lots of face time with physicians and patients, minimal supervision, and lots of rewards for being aggressively effective. I love my job - I'm treated by a peer by physicians regarding medical advancements and collaborate with them to develop, analyze and publish groundbreaking medical research. I also work with patients almost every day, so I get to see how we positively affect someone's life. It's a nice way to make a living.</p>
<p>I won't mention which medical device company I work for, but if you can name the Big Three, you have a 33% chance of being right. :-)</p>
<p>Where can you find out about clinical positions? Try the following steps and repeat for other companies....</p>
<p>1) Go to St</a>. Jude Medical - Home Page. Click on Careers, click on Search Open Positions. Select Job Title: All, Job Category: Clinical. Click Search.</p>
<p>You'll see some possibilities. A Clinical Engineer does work like me in the field. A System Engineer is primarily an in-house design engineer. A Clinical Research Associate is an in-house clinical team member helping run a clinical trial. Most Field Engineers and System Engineers are engineers with advanced degrees or relevant field experience (unless you have an awesome resume and GPA). A good entry position may be a Research Associate. After 2-3 years, it will be relatively easy to transition into a more advanced position as an engineer or clinical trial manager.</p>
<p>2) Go to Medtronic</a>, the world leader in medical technology and pioneering therapies. Click on Career Opportunities. Click on Campus Recruiting --> Technical Careers. Click on the entries in the yellow box to get descriptions of positions. Go back to Careers. Click on Job Opportunities ==> US & Puerto Rico. Select Location: All, Job Type: Full Time, Job Category: Clinical Studies. </p>
<p>I see 6 pages of positions, from Clinical IT Developer, to Clinical Research Manager, to Clinical Research Specialist.</p>
<p>Repeat steps similar to 1 & 2 above with other medical device manufacturers you find on the web. Look for references on Medical Alley (MN area) and other references in medical journals and conference proceedings from your area of interest.</p>
<p>Good Luck,
-Scrubs</p>
<p>Alternatively, there are many private organizations and universities that perform clinical trials for the larger corporations, I have friends who do this. Also, my wife manages vivarian clinics which performs phase 1 trials on mice as well as knock-out studies for drug discovery. Both are very interesting.</p>
<p>Search "CRO, Clinical Research Organization", and you'll get a ton of information and leads on this type of work.</p>
<p>thanks for the info japher!</p>