Biomedical Engineering Careers Combine Doing Well with Doing Good
In May 2012 Forbes Magazine featured an article about the fifteen most valuable college majors. What made a major “valuable” in their eyes? Competitive median starting pay, median mid-career pay (at least 10 years in), growth in salary, and wealth of job opportunities. The analysts concluded that Biomedical Engineering is the major that is most worth your tuition, time and effort. So what exactly is Biomedical Engineering?
The terms bioengineering and biomedical engineering are often used interchangeably. Sometimes however, bioengineering refers to issues involving animal health and/or plants and agriculture, whereas biomedical engineering refers to a focus on human health.
There are four fields within biomedical engineering: clinical engineering, medical devices, medical imaging and tissue engineering. Clinical Engineering involves the use of equipment found in hospitals and medical facilities. Medical Device Engineering is concerned with the invention and operation of diagnostic devices, devices that help cure diseases or devices that help the body operate normally such as pacemakers, diabetic pumps or dental implants. Medical Imaging is concerned with the invention and use of equipment that takes images of the body to help diagnose and formulate treatment options for patients, including X-Ray machines and ultrasound equipment. Tissue Engineering focuses on developing and implementing artificial organs. In some cases this also includes inventing technologies to re-grow organs or create new ones. Other specialties within biomedical engineering are biomaterials, biomechanics, rehabilitation engineering, and orthopedic engineering.
Bioengineering programs provide students with the scientific knowledge and engineering tools necessary for graduate study in the engineering or scientific disciplines, continued education in health professional schools, or employment in industry. Top notch programs provide students with a rigorous education in engineering and fundamental sciences, offer experience in state-of- the-art research in bioengineering, and teach the problem-solving and team-building skills to succeed in a career in bioengineering.
All students begin with foundation courses in biology, physics, chemistry, and math. They then take courses in basic engineering principles, computer science, statistics, and applied math. The last two years of most undergraduate programs include courses in materials, fluid mechanics, signals and systems, biomedical imaging, and ethics, among others. Students often have the opportunity to choose electives tailored to their individual interests.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering often work in collaboration with health care professionals. Effective communication skills, the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, and an appreciation of the ethical and regulatory constraints governing the development, manufacture, and distribution of health care products, are all needed skills.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the employment of biomedical engineers is expected to grow by 62 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand will be strong because an aging population needs more medical care and because of increased public awareness of biomedical engineering advances and their benefits.
Biomedical engineers earn a median starting salary of $53,800, which grows to an average of $97,800 by mid-career. In addition to high salaries, the field is expected to grow more than any other major on the Forbes Magazine’s list.
So, if you’re considering bioengineering or biomedical engineering programs, research each program’s objectives and required classes to understand whether the program will satisfy your needs.
Famous Biomedical Advancements & Their Developers
Heart-lung machines … John Heysham Gibbon
Pacemaker … Wilson Greatbatch
Cochlear Implant … William House
X-ray Technology … Thomas Edison
CT Scan … Godfrey N. Hounsfield
Engineering programs should be ABET accredited, meaning they meet the standards established by the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology. Visit www.abet.org for more information.
