Okay so I’ve been really really interested in biomedical stuff – prosthesis, artifical organs, and the like. Thing is, I’ve been looking around the internet and there’s a lot of dissent about majoring in BME.
Most of the complaints are : lack of jobs + low pay without more degrees, only half-learning bio and engineering, low GPA that makes applying to med school hard.
A lot of the suggestions for other forums say to just pick another major, but no matter what major I go for I still want to do BME stuff. I was wondering if double majoring, or minoring, with Biology and Engineering (not really sure what type yet, probably mechanical?) would give me better odds? But a lot of the stuff I’ve seen says that they’re tough to double major with…
I’m a Junior and haven’t really delved into all of this college stuff so I’m not too sure what it really means to double major or minor in something. Really anything you’d have to help would be great, thanks~
No need to double major or to minor. Major in ME or EE or ChemE and fill your free credits with some relevant biology courses.
Ooh, cool question! I don’t know the answer but, since I’m in biology married to an engineer, you’re like the son I thought we’d have lol. But seriously… Prosthetics are very different than artificial organs. If I had to guess about the connection, I would say that you’re an outside-the-box thinker with an engineering bent but with an interest in the body. I would suggest asking your parents to help arrange a few “informational interviews” with adults doing the kind of work you are interested in. You have time to learn more about your options before deciding. Good luck!
UMich has a program combining BS in Cell & Molecular Biology with MS in BME. You may want to look into that.
@AuraObscura Wheww that’s a relief! ^^;
But will future employers know that I’ve taken those courses? And will I learn enough bio to get by in an actual biomed job if I just learn through frees?
@Pbrain Haha adopt me and teach me bio and engineering 
Yeah… I have to make a decision about that, right now I’m not to sure which path to take. But you’ve definitely got the out-of-box, engineering bent to human body thing! I really like learning about the human body, but I don’t just want to do surgery. I’d really like to do something more research-oriented and experimental.
I honestly don’t know which side of BME I’d do better with… Prosthesis will probably rely more on engineering and artificial organs on bio right? I’ll definitely try talking to some adults, thanks for the tip~
@arachnidsGrip
You can simply list relevant courses, experience, and skills on your resume. Learning biology isn’t particularly difficult, but getting some relevant biology and chemistry lab experience (and familiarizing yourself with lab skills and techniques) might be valuable. If I were you, I’d try to take biology and chemistry courses with lab components–for instance, organic chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, to name a few.