<p>hey guys i just wanted to know if some of you could tell me a little bit about BME at Vanderbilt.
How well-known/respected is it?
Do a lot of companies like to hire vanderbilt bme graduates?
Does vanderbilt have a good graduate biomedical engineering program?
And anything else you guys could tell me would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Oh and alsooo, what is the type of computer that engineering students are required to have(whether they provide it or the school has to)?</p>
<p>I’m a prospective BME student for next year, so I can’t help you with the first half.</p>
<p>But there’s no required computer, as long as it can run Windows (which Macs can), and meets the other small specifications, then you can use it–says someone in VUSE who is currently typing on a MacBook. Vandy will tell you to get a Dell because they have a partnership where you get them cheaper, but unless you get the XPS, I’d say Dells aren’t worth it. Go with an HP or Toshiba if you want a PC.</p>
<p>Actually, unless they changed things, all engineering students are required to purchase a Dell laptop through the school. This is mainly so the engineering computer programs will run properly, etc. It’s also nice because you have a 4 year warranty and can even have your computer replaced free of charge if it gets broken. Some people do opt for to beat the system and get their own. Usually they have transferred into engineering from A&S. But beware, although most Windows based PCs should be compatible with the engineering programs, good luck getting a Mac to operate properly.</p>
<p>They did change it. The engineering department sent out a list of requirements that computers need to have. You can buy their Dell if you want, but it’s not required.</p>
<p>Well you guys are lucky then. I know Macs are awesome but I still really wouldn’t use one for engineering purposes. Toshiba is definitely a good choice.</p>
<p>dont worry about macs not being able to run your windows programs, macs have bootcamp which lets you boot windows and install your programs. plus then you can still walk around with your mac and go yay look at me i have a shiny new mac im so sophisticated :P</p>
<p>Yes, you can still run the programs on Macs but you’re going to have serious compatibility issues when running certain add-ons, extras, etc and when working in a group when others have PCs. I’m not saying you shouldn’t get one. Just be aware.</p>
<p>Bump. Any comments on the OP’s questions?</p>
<p>I will say my son is a junior in BME. I was hoping someone else would answer your question but I will take a stab at it. Almost 50% of the students go into BME at Vandy seem to be interested in Med School. Their is about 20% of the Students that go into Law and the rest all seem to go on to Grad School. My son was going to Med School but fell in love with the engineering side and plans on going to Grad School.
This summer he just completed an internship at Philips Electronics - Medical Div. It didnt get this thru the school but he is hoping on getting an internship thru the school next summer. I will also tell you Vandy is moving up in the BME rankings every year.</p>
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[QUOTE=trey1105]
I will say my son is a junior in BME. I was hoping someone else would answer your question but I will take a stab at it. Almost 50% of the students go into BME at Vandy seem to be interested in Med School. Their is about 20% of the Students that go into Law and the rest all seem to go on to Grad School. My son was going to Med School but fell in love with the engineering side and plans on going to Grad School.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Based of my experiences and anecdotes, this is an accurate description.</p>
<p>Though I’m not BME, I’ve known many by virtue of my course load (I’m a science major, and my pre-reqs are similar to some of theirs).</p>
<p>The amount of pre-med BME’s, as trey said, starts at around 50%, yet drops to under 40% (according to a friend of mine in that major). This is partly due to the rigor of the major, which, in my opinion, is the most difficult in the school. It is the combination of pre-med requisites (bio, gen chem, orgo, etc.), with the physics and math of engineering, that proves to be a daunting task. Several BME’s have told me that the average freshman GPA was a 2.8 - 2.9, though I have yet to verify that.</p>
<p>Of the remaining, approximately 20 - 30% may go into law or industry, and the rest go to grad school.</p>
<p>Like most science and engineering programs at Vanderbilt, it is very respected and should provide good opportunities in graduate school or employment upon graduation (albeit, there are other factors). Needless to say, however, the difficulty of the program is known, so a BME major may receive more leeway with his or her GPA (deservedly so).</p>
<p>If you want to do BME as industry, not premed, look for a program with coops and internships. You will add another year to your schooling, but you will graduate with a resume.</p>
<p>If you are looking at BME for pre-med I think you should either look else where, or pick a different major.
BME at Vandy is fantastic; however, as previously stated, it is probably the most difficult major on campus. When applying to medical school, GPA is king, and the BME major will make this VERY difficult on you.</p>
<p>If you are interested in biotechnology, biomedical research, or biomedical engineering the program is great.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt doesn’t participate in co-op programs. Internships are a definite yes though.</p>
<p>thanks for your answers guys i didn’t think i was ever going to get answers to my main questions lol.
&i had no idea it was such a rigorous program, that it might be considered the hardest major at vandy. that’s surprising.</p>
<p>can anyone verify TheWaffleIron’s statement that the average GPA for vandy biomedical engineering majors is 2.8-2.9? bc that’s kind of scary!</p>
<p>^^^That gpa sounds low, but I don’t have a more accurate number for you. Dean Overholser (Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduates) knows the numbers or can direct you to the person who does. The administration at VUSE (Vanderbilt School of Engineering) is very approachable, and always seems eager to answer the questions of parents and prospective students. </p>
<p>When the question about engineering gpa arose a couple of years ago at a parents information session I attended, the numbers quoted (for all engineering majors, not any particular major) were much higher than 2.8-2.9.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE=GCN2]
If you are looking at BME for pre-med I think you should either look else where, or pick a different major.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>I would recommend against BME if you’re pre-med at Vanderbilt, unless you absolutely love the field. PM me. </p>
<p>
[QUOTE=midmo]
^^^That gpa sounds low, but I don’t have a more accurate number for you. Dean Overholser (Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduates) knows the numbers or can direct you to the person who does.
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<p>Again, I have not independently verified that statistic. However, on separate occasions, several different BME majors stated that the average GPA for freshman BMEs (of the class of 2011) was around 2.8 - 2.9. </p>
<p>
[QUOTE=midmo]
When the question about engineering gpa arose a couple of years ago at a parents information session I attended, the numbers quoted (for all engineering majors, not any particular major) were much higher than 2.8-2.9.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>I doubt the averages were much higher. From what I’ve heard, the average engineering GPA is around a 3.0 - 3.2, below A&S’s average (which, if I recall, is a 3.25 - 3.35).</p>
<p>I can verify that GPA average based on alot of friends who go through the program. it’s a rough program. There are students who come out of it with a 3.8-3.9, but they are definitely the exception to the norm.</p>
<p>Hey, I’m a bme grad student at Vandy. I can tell you that the program is very strong and is perennially among the top-20 in the nation. It’s definitely one of those programs that continues to be on the rise; we just made some new faculty hires to bolster some previously lacking research areas. Research benefits greatly from having a top-notch medical center & cancer center right on campus. Compared to other places I was recruited, the infrastructure is set up very well here in that you have lots of resources packed in a compact campus. I constantly learn about new techniques and instruments I did not previously know existed… But enough with the grad student-y stuff…</p>
<p>As far as companies and jobs go, I think Vanderbilt somewhat suffers due to location. Tennessee is not very big on biotech yet. A labmate/coworker of mine has his ear to the ground on that sort of stuff, and apparently, the one and only publicly traded biotech firm in Nashville is a 45-min drive away from campus. That said, big pharma/diagnostics companies like Merck and Roche Diagnostics make their way on campus every year to recruit and interview Vanderbilt BME alums, and our graduates tend to do pretty well in securing jobs and getting into grad schools.</p>
<p>As far as premeds go, I wouldn’t recommend doing BME. It’s an entirely different way of thinking and they pound it at you from the beginning. If you’re used to memorization and regurgitation of information (as will likely be expected in your med school classes), it will be difficult for you to succeed in a BME, let alone, a general engineering curriculum. That said, premeds who do survive the BME curriculum I think benefit from that skillset when they move on to medical school.</p>
<p>Hope this helps…</p>
<p>thanks martel_pride, your answer was very informative!</p>
<p>i have a few questions though:
although i’m very interested in biomedical engineering, i don’t know a whole lot about it in the career world; what are the top biotech firms around the country and where are they located? i’m guessing a lot are in california, in that silicone/tech valley region.</p>
<p>also,you say that BME doesn’t involve memorization and regurgitation(which is good news to me!) but what kind of thinking processes does in entail?
& yeah i don’t think i’m going to do BME for pre-med. i mean, it is an option, but i’m leaning more towards going to graduate school for BME, not medical school.</p>
<p>I think “top biotech firms” depends on what you intend to get into. If it’s drugs and pharma, then places like Pfizer, AstraZeneca, etc. have locations from New Jersey/New York to North Carolina (Research Triangle area), to Dallas/Houston, all the way to California. If it’s medical devices (things like surgical tools and whatnot), you have companies like Stryker and Medtronic which as far as I know are either up north in Minnesota and Chicago or down in the Dallas/Houston areas. As far as getting into jobs like these, I think you’re in good shape coming from this program.</p>
<p>The skills that you’ll need to succeed in BME are more of thought process and smart engineering… As a professional engineer, you’d likely be asked to justify why you’d want to use a certain kind of material for say, a vascular graft as opposed to a bone fixation device. I’m not sure I can properly put in words what this thought process is…</p>
<p>Either ways, I hope this answers your questions!</p>