<p>SloaneC, I’m from NY. I wouldn’t mind working in Boston as I really like it.</p>
<p>So it seems the general consensus is that if I want to go into biomedical engineering, I ought to get at least some Biology background.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, the tri-state area is really not a good place to work in technology unless you have a CS degree. Supply >> demand of workers, especially because of the economy.</p>
<p>Thank you to all who have posted here and helped me out.</p>
<p>I have decided to major in Mechanical Engineering and take some courses from the Bioengineering department. For the extra courses, I will either take the extra classes during the summer or add on an extra year of college to gain more breadth from the Biology and Chemical side of things.</p>
<p>After that, I want to pursue graduate studies in Biomedical Engineering to specialize more in my target career’s field.</p>
<p>Good choice. But don’t spend an extra year taking courses - if you go for the PhD (or even research MS), you’ll have plenty of time to take those classes you might have missed at no extra charge and without extending your schooling.</p>
<p>For graduate programs, not having a biology background won’t work against me then?</p>
<p>You’ll have a few science electives and/or requirements - take a decent bio+chem series like Bio, Chem, OChem, and maybe BioChem. But you’ll be fine if you don’t really have much more than the basics.</p>
<p>Ok then. Thanks</p>
<p>Another thing though.</p>
<p>My university offers the option to get a Mechanical Engineering B.S. and M.S. in 5 years. Do you think the extra year of tuition (So far, my financial aid allows me to pay $3000 a year and take out about $7000 in loans a year so the remainder has been covered by grant aid) would be worth getting the M.S. even if I do pursue a Ph.D in Biomedical Engineering?</p>
<p>Not really. You don’t actually need an MS in ME for anything if you’re already going for BME.</p>
<p>All other things equal, would graduate schools prefer high research experience over high grades?</p>
<p>It’s been established that an undergraduate degree in bioengineering is not sufficient to find a career. But since I intend to pursue a graduate degree anyway, is the unemployability of the bioengineering Bachelor’s degree really that much of a concern?</p>
<p>Since I intend to pursue graduate school right after undergraduate studies, wouldn’t it be more important to major in something where more interesting (to me that is) research takes place?</p>
<p>If you’re already sure you will be going to graduate school, or, at any rate, are willing to bet the farm on it, then majoring in BioE at the undergraduate level makes total sense. If you are unsure, a more traditional engineering subject would give you better exit options while still allowing you to do BioE later; it’s a way to hedge risk. Only you can decide how much risk you’re willing to assume and for how much of a reward.</p>
<p>Research is king for getting into graduate school. Get publications under your belt, a couple of strong recommendations from recognized faculty and do your homework when applying to programs and you can write your own ticket. What you do research in is typically more important than the name of your degree once you get to the graduate level.</p>
<p>There is really nothing stopping you from doing research in an entirely different field, as long as you’re useful.</p>
<p>Don’t “bet the farm on it” when there really is no practical benefit to doing so. More risk for no reward.</p>
<p>For future bioengineering/biomedical engineering students in the same situation as myself, the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society states that “Biomedical engineers must integrate biology and medicine with engineering to solve problems related to living systems. Thus, biomedical engineers are required to have a solid foundation in a more traditional engineering discipline, such as electrical, mechanical or chemical engineering.”</p>
<p>That’s basically what the engineers in this thread are saying,</p>