Preface: Biomedical engineering, also known as bioengineering, biomedical engineering, or biomedical engineering (BME), refers to a field of study that combines biology and engineering. This unique, interdisciplinary field of study will encompass a wider range of disciplines where you can use your in-depth understanding of engineering to solve medical and biological problems.
With the rapid advances in technology, it is not surprising that developments in science and engineering are being incorporated into the medical field. Any new knowledge about living systems gained through analytical techniques based on engineering science contributes to the advancement of medicine. This integration has given rise to the interdisciplinary field of biomedical engineering and, as a result, the creation of biomedical engineering jobs.
Major breakthroughs in the field of biomedical engineering include life-saving and life-changing technologies such as artificial organs, prosthetics, surgical devices, pacemakers, electroencephalographs, regenerative tissue growth, pharmaceuticals, and kidney dialysis. Some early inventions that are familiar today include crutches, dentures, thick-soled shoes, and the electron microscope.
Biomedical Engineering Explained
In short, it is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology. Biomedical engineering bridges the gap between engineering and medicine, seamlessly integrating engineering design and problem-solving skills with medical and biological sciences to improve medical diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment.
What are the subdisciplines of biomedical engineering?
● Biomedical electronics
● Biomechanics
● Biophysics
● Bioassays
● Biomaterials
● Biomechanics
● Biomimetics
● Computational biology
● Cellular, tissue, and genetic engineering<
●Clinical Engineering
●Medical Imaging
●Orthopaedic Bioengineering
●Rehabilitation Engineering
●Systems Physiology
●BioNanotechnology
●Neuroengineering
Types of Skills Required
The following are some of the skills required to study a degree in Some of the skills required for a degree in bioengineering:
Analytical skills - Biomedical engineers are expected to analyze and understand the needs of patients and customers in order to design appropriate solutions;
● Creativity - Sometimes you need to think outside the box or break the rules so that you can make medical device and equipment make innovative and integrated advances;
● Communication skills - you will sometimes work with patients, often in interdisciplinary teams, and you need to be able to articulate your ideas clearly. Pay attention to the ideas of others and incorporate them into problem solving;
● Mathematical skills-Biomedical engineers need to utilize the principles of calculus and other advanced mathematical techniques (including statistics) to analyze, design, and troubleshoot;
● Problem solving skills-You'll often be working on complex biological systems and problem solving, so a problem effectively handled in a way that may lead to a number of side effects effects that can cause problems for the patient.
What kind of education is required?
Biomedical engineers usually have a master's degree (M.S., M.S.E., or M.Eng.) or a Ph.D. in BME (biomedical engineering). Many universities offer education in undergraduate biomedical engineering programs (B.S., B.Eng or B.S.E.) to help students realize their dream of becoming a bioengineer. Employers also look for candidates with good communication skills, and a bioengineer is someone with a combination of medical, technical and other professional backgrounds.
Is bioengineering the right major for you?
Are you interested in making the world a little different and helping to improve the lives of millions of people? As a bioengineer, you have the incredible opportunity to create life-changing and even life-saving devices.
Bioengineering Internships
A significant number of universities now offer a plethora of internships for their bioengineering students. For example, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign encourages students to work on research projects during vacations or courses. Students may even choose to study abroad for a semester in order to gain a broader understanding of the discipline, as well as to learn how bioengineering is applied and taught in other parts of the world.
Students can contact the Office of Student Affairs, and the university will help them find a suitable researcher. Meanwhile, the University of Pittsburgh has partnered with the Human Engineering Research Laboratory to provide internships for students so they can gain valuable industry experience. Alternatively, you can choose to find independent internships on your own. Healthcare companies and government agencies such as the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering are always looking for interns.
Bioengineering Career Paths
As you may be aware, biomedical engineers are in high demand at top pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, research institutions, government agencies, universities, and many other places. Broadly speaking, biomedical engineering jobs can include performance testing of new products, teaching and research, becoming a technical consultant, or inventing new machines for medical purposes, to name a few. The field is still evolving, and once you graduate, you never know what kind of employment opportunities will be available.
Here are some industries/places that require expertise in bioengineering:
● Manufacturing industry
● Universities
● Hospitals
● Privately or government-funded research institutes (usually you must hold a Ph.D. degree)
● Educational and healthcare organizations<
There are some interesting things you can do with a bioengineering degree:
● Design equipment, devices, and machines
● Install, adjust, maintain, and repair biomedical equipment
● Evaluate the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment
● Train clinicians and other hospital staff in the proper use of complex biomedical equipment
● Conducts research with chemists and life and medical scientists on engineering aspects of human and animal biological systems
● Develops procedures, writes technical reports, publishes research papers, and makes recommendations based on the results of the research
● Presents these results to the scientific and non-scientific communities
Some senior positions in the private sector have been recognized for their work on biomedical equipment. strong> Some senior positions in the private sector include:
● Managing marketing
● Product manager
● Quality assurance consultant
● Technical consultant
Your career options won't be limited to just the field of bioengineering. You can choose to pursue a graduate degree to lead a research team or a law degree to become a patent attorney. Or, you could choose to pursue an MBA and move into a more lucrative management position.
Bioengineers are in demand
As the world's population ages and birth rates in developed countries are low, bioengineers can best meet these growing needs. Bioengineers are needed to drive rapid innovation in medical technologies such as 3d printing and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The demand for bioengineers is increasing in many countries.
In Australia, for example, several biomedical giants have set up in the country, such as Cochlear (a company that develops cochlear implants), Resmed (a company that develops devices for treating sleep apnea), and Ventracor (which, as the name suggests, develops artificial hearts). Meanwhile, a number of state-of-the-art research facilities have been established in the UK, including the biomedical engineering institutes at Imperial College London and Oxford University.
Biomedical Engineering Specialties
Bioinstrumentation - this field uses electronics and computer science to create devices used to diagnose and treat disease;
Biomaterials - you'll see materials designed naturally or in the lab to be used in medical devices or as implantable materials, such as autolytic sutures;
Biomechanics. -This is the study of mechanics, e.g. thermodynamics and its application/implications in solving biological and medical problems;
Clinical Engineering - As the name suggests, medical technology will be applied to improve and optimize the delivery of healthcare;
Clinical Engineering - As the name suggests, medical technology will be applied to improve and optimize the delivery of healthcare. services;
Rehabilitation engineering - similarly, this program will study engineering and computer science for the sole purpose of inventing devices to help people with physical and cognitive disabilities;
Systems physiology ( Systems physiology - here, readers will learn how to use engineering tools to understand how individual biological systems (e.g., bacteria, animals, and humans) change in function and response within the environments in which they live.
Average Biomedical Engineer Salary
According to a 2018 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, biological engineers earn an average of $88,550 per year. To be more precise, the top 10% of paid biomedical engineering professionals earn slightly more than $144,350.