<p>I have researched the field of biomedical engineering extensively and have found that many say that undergraduate biomedical/bioengineering programs do not give enough depth to be useful for employment. I plan to go to medical school or at least graduate school, and so I am not sure if this downside to biomedical engineering would still apply. If any of you have experience with biomedical engineering undergraduate programs, please share you experiences with me to help me determine my future major.</p>
<p>I got my bachelor’s in Bioengineering (Biotechnology) at UC San Diego, so I think I might be able to answer your question. From my experience, a bioengineering degree is best described as a “Jack of all trades, master of none”. You’ll be taking a wide variety of different courses (e.g. circuits, fluid mechanics, organic chemistry, etc.), but you won’t have the more specialize knowledge of say a mechanical engineering major would have. </p>
<p>With only a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering, you’ll most likely end up being a manufacturing or research technician (which you’ll have to compete against chemistry, biology, etc. majors). When my graduating class was surveyed, half of the class was going to graduate school, and only about 3-4 students out of a class of ~100 got an actual engineering position. From my experience, the majority of the REAL bioengineering positions go to the people that majored in chemical, electrical, or mechanical engineering. </p>
<p>Now if you’re really interested in the biotech field, I advise you to major in one of the traditional engineering disciplines (electrical, mechanical, chemical, etc.), as you can seriously apply to the same positions a bioengineer could but have even MORE options. But, if you REALLY want to major in bioengineering though, then doing a masters in bioengineering is your best option. </p>
<p>Were you able to select a specific tract within bioengineering? I have noted that many universities offer students the choice of specific tracts within bioengineering so it is not as “generic”. I also think the job opportunities depends on where you are located and what type of companies you are interviewing with. Many of the universities in the Washington DC Metropolitan area partner with The National Institutes of Health, John Hopkins, and biotech companies for research which lead to more job opportunities for students. That area has a large biotech corridor, and bioengineering majors get jobs at companies such as Human Genome Science, Medimmune, etc. </p>