Ok, so I want to be a biomedical engineer really bad! It’s a combination of the two things I am most interested in. I’ve researched a lot about and people are saying that it’s hard to major in this and get a job doing what you like. I want to make prosthetics mainly and other devices. I was so excited learning about this major but is it really hard to get a job with a biomedical bachelor’s degree? What do I need to do if I want to become an BME and what should I major in so that I get this job? Would it be ok to come in as an undergrad and major in BME? What are the best universities for this major ? Thank you!!
If you want to work in BME, you would be best served to have a graduate BME degree. You don’t have to have a Bs in BME. You can start in ME. The programs with the best reputations tend to be the ones associated with giant medical facilities like Case and Johns Hopkins. There are many others. Good luck.
@veronicaacee - there are many strong BME programs. I would also say not to get 100% hung up on the rankings. If you go to abet.org, you can get a list of all the accredited BME schools. Then I would suggest looking at the schools that interest you and see if they have concentrations as part of their undergraduate BME program.
My son will be majoring in BME in the fall. He applied to Rice, Boston Univ, Case Western, Univ of Minnesota, Washington Univ in St Louis, Virginia Commonwealth Univ, Univ of Illinois-Chicago, Pitt, and Univ of Alabama-Birmingham.
Feel free to ask any questions you want here or in a message.
@waitinginCPA, where is your son going? My son is a junior so we have another year but he wants to do BME.
Yes, having a ME degree is better preparation for a BME career than a BS in BME.
@buckeyeinmd he has not made a choice yet, but it is down to Boston University, Case Western and VCU.
@LakeWashington you can’t make that blanket statement. If you want to concentrate on tissue engineering, majoring in Mechanical Engineering is of no benefit for a career in BME.
I continue to puzzle at the fascination with a BS in BME. Its pretty well known that a BS only is not very employable and that it’s poor prep for health professions like Medicine. What is the attraction?
It may be “well known” on here, but major-finding websites often list BME as a major that is likely to pay well and have jobs available. That’s how I found it and became interested. In the process of switching out, because I didn’t find out about the job prospects until I got to college.
WaitingInCPA, did you read the OP’s statement?
“I want to make prosthetics mainly and other devices.” Insert Mechanical Engineering training here.
Sorry, I hadn’t read all of the posts.
BME is still an option, but they would want to make sure the school has the appropriate concentration. But yiu are also correct that an ME degree would work.
@eyemgh why do you say it is poor prep for med school? I will cite one example. VCU. In their BME program, half of the students are pre-med, and they have a 94% acceptance rate. I would say that is excellent preparation.
@WaitingInCPA, getting into medical school requires three things, completing the prerequis, high MCAT score and great grades. The major is irrelevant. It can be bio, BME or music. The issue with ANY engineering is that that field is the hardest undergraduate field. A student will learn LOTS of difficult stuff that they’ll never use and in most programs have to take coursework beyond the already packed BME curriculum to meet the prerequisites. It just makes it harder than it needs to be if the whole intent is to do healthcare. On top of that, many see it as a fall back if they don’t get in, but the job market for BMEs with only a BS is pretty soft. So, can it be done, absolutely. Is it the smartest route, I personally don’t believe so.
@WaitingInCPA
Even if someone wanted to work in tissue engineering, a degree in ME would absolutely not be useless. Cell mechanics, tissue mechanics, biological micromechanics, and microfluidics all involve mechanical principles that MEs learn. A not insignificant number of mechanical engineering faculty in my program study exactly these things–cell and tissue engineering and cell/tissue biomechanics. ME is applicable to a wide variety of areas.
@buckeyeinmd - the decision has been made. Our son will be attending VCU. Their financial aid package made it really hard not to pick them, but it was the facilities and professors that closed the deal.
@WaitingInCPA - thanks. Good luck to your son.We’re still exploring all the colleges before coming up with a list to apply to in the fall
My son is also interested in BME. We still don’t know which route to take. Our two options are Marquette and Ohio University, both because of their financial aid package. Those are the only two we can afford so one of them is gonna have to be. Marquette has the BS in BME but OU doesn’t. He’ll have to do Chemical & Biomolecular Eng and then follow into BME at graduate level. Both colleges have a 4+1 Masters program which my son is very interested, he wants to go for grad school before going to work. Still no clue which way will be best