So, I have the option to spend 5 years in undergrad and get a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical (both B.A.), which I would prefer not to do, or I could stay for 4 years and get a major in Mechanical and minor in Biomedical. I would then go to Graduate school and get a master’s in Biomedical. Which should I do? I am worried I won’t be able to get a job as a biomedical engineer if I don’t get the major.
Do you mean B.S., or are the engineering degrees really Bachelors of Arts?
Lots of MEs work for medical device companies without a major or a minor in BME.
Sorry, I meant B.S. I hit the wrong key. Sorry for the confusion. Thank you for replying!
So, hopefully, I will be fine. I really don’t want to do a five year program… That just sounds draining. Since I am a senior in high school, who will have finished Differential Equations by the end of this year, I could be able to graduate in 4 years. Or, I may just go into Undergrad in the five year program and just change the biomed into a minor if needed (which I will probably do).
If anything, I would say it would be better worth it to get the BME masters in a fifth year. There is not much use in getting a second bachelors.
There’s no such thing as a “biomedical engineer” in industry. OK, that’s not entirely true–there are a handful of companies where “biomedical engineer” is actually a job title, but for the most part, that’s not the case. Job titles for individuals in the field of biomedical engineering and medical devices tend to be “mechanical engineer,” “electrical engineer,” “design engineer,” “product development engineer,” “scientist,” “R&D engineer,” “software engineer,” “biologist,” etc.
Biomedical engineering is a broad term that simply refers to the application of engineering principles to address topics in biology/medicine. The vast, vast, vast majority of people who work in this field don’t have degrees in biomedical engineering. They have degrees in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, computer science, biology/chemistry, and so on.
In other words, you don’t need a BME degree to work in BME. Most people don’t. I work in the medical device industry and I have yet to meet someone with a BME degree.
For those interested, there are Biomedical Engineering programs at the BS, MS and PhD levels. They had them when I was a student at WPI in 1970. In fact my roommate earned an MS in Biomedical engineering about that time and went on for his MD after acceptance to three medical schools.
BME is an integrated program with either ME, EE or ChE, and it does involve some integrating coursework. In the case of WPI it also involves integrating research. Check out this description @ https://www.wpi.edu/student-experience/career-development/majors/career-outlook/biomedical-engineering. Note there is even an American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) which can be found @ http://aimbe.org/ :bz
One WPI Biomedical Engineering professor was recently reported in a Boston Magazine with some very significant medical research (see the article at http://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2017/11/27/boston-doctors-medical-breakthroughs/). This professor has his PhD in biomedical engineering from Stony Brook University, N. Y., an MS degree in ME from Georgia Tech and a BS degree in ME from U Mass. It appears they can now grow heart tissue. As an old man, it impressed me!
Go for it! :bz
OK, I’m probably talking to myself, but this discussion about Biomedical Engineering has caught me up because these are examples for prospective students to see the nature of and the interdisciplinary mix found in the Biomedical Engineering field. Remember, engineering is where the rubber meets the road!
Go gor it! I’m too old!
:bz