How to Become a Biomedical Engineer

Preparing for a Biomedical Engineering Degree in High School

Enroll in advanced math and science courses. As a future biomedical engineer, your ability to understand mathematical and scientific principles is essential. Your commitment to excelling in these fields should commence in high school. As you explore the fields of math and science in preparation for college, challenge yourself. By the end of high school you should complete the following math courses: algebra, geometry, advanced algebra, trigonometry, and pre-calculus, and calculus. Throughout high school you should complete the following science courses: biology, chemistry, and physics. When possible, take advanced versions of these courses if offered by your school.

Take humanities, speech, and language courses to diversify your education. Biomedical engineers bridge the fields of medicine and engineering. To succeed in this interdisciplinary field, you must be an effective communicator. Humanities, speech, and language courses facilitate the development of these skills. In social studies courses, you will develop critical thinking skills. In writing and composition courses, you will develop the ability to write succinctly. Speech or debate courses will prepare you to give public presentations. Language courses will provide you with the knowledge to speak another language. Biomedical engineers seeks to improve medical care worldwide—possessing the ability to communicate across cultures will be exceptionally beneficial!

Seek out additional academic opportunities. Electives and clubs can provide you with unique and valuable experiences. Actively seek out opportunities to learn more about the fields of math, science, medicine, and engineering. If your high school offers computer science electives, enroll in these courses. If you have completed all of the necessary high school level courses, consider dual enrolling at your local college. Dual enrolling would enable you to take advanced courses and to receive college credits. Join the robotics team, coding club, or compete in Science Olympiad.

Work, intern, or volunteer at a medical facility. Biomedical engineers engage and collaborate with colleagues in the medical field. As a high school student, strive to work, intern, or volunteer within the healthcare field. These experiences will provide you with insight into the doctors, nurses, and patients’ needs—needs you can address in the future as a biomedical engineer. Shadow your family’s physician. Seek employment within a hospital. Volunteer at a nursing home.

Diversify your high school experiences. Colleges appreciate well-rounded applicants. In addition to excelling in the maths and sciences, it is to your benefit to build a resume of exceptional and diverse experiences. Volunteer to help children with their homework. Coach a youth soccer team. Complete various community service projects. Organize a bake sale or a coat drive.

Obtaining a B.S.

Apply to colleges and universities with strong science and engineering programs. Although biomedical engineering is an up and coming field, only a limited number of schools offer biomedical degree programs. As a result, it is very common for biomedical engineers to pursue engineering degrees with a biomedical engineering concentration. When you are searching for colleges and universities, look for schools with renowned science and engineering programs.

Declare your major. When you declare a major, you are formally expressing your intent to pursue a specific degree. After discerning if the field of biomedical engineering is right for you, express your intent to pursue an accredited biomedical engineering degree or an engineering degree. Your school may require you to declare your major through its registrar’s office, the school, or department.

Select a track or concentration. Selecting a track, or choosing a concentration, entails specializing in a specific area of your field. This process will vary from school to school. If your school offers an accredited biomedical engineering degree program (ABET), you will often have to select a track, a specific sub-discipline to study. Examples of these interdisciplinary tracks include biomechanics and tissue engineering. The field of biomechanics merges the study of continuum mechanics and biological systems. Tissue engineers use cells and biomaterials to reconstruct or create new tissues and organs. If you are majoring in engineering with the intent to become a biomedical engineer, you will need to pair this with a biomedical engineering concentration.

Complete the required coursework. As undergraduates, biomedical engineers are required to take courses that develop their ability to apply the principles of engineering to biomedical issues. Regardless of your school’s program, you will have to complete coursework in the fields of engineering, biology, chemistry, and physics. Some of these courses will include: Organic Chemistry Inorganic Chemistry Statistics Calculus Circuits

Acquire an internship. Internships provide students with an opportunity to gain real-world work experience. There are a variety of internship options. You may choose to intern at a pharmaceutical company, laboratory, or engineering firm. If you are interested in pursuing an advanced degree, you may wish to conduct research with a professor. You may choose to conduct an internship during the summer or the school year.

Study abroad. Biomedical engineering is an international field. Study abroad programs will prepare you to work with colleagues from different nations. Dedicate one semester or one year to studying in a different country. In addition to taking classes abroad, you may also acquire an internship in another nation.

Pursuing a Career or Advanced Degree after College

Start a career in biomedical engineering. After completing your undergraduate degree, begin your career as a biomedical engineer. Since biomedical engineering programs are interdisciplinary—they combine multiple fields of study—you have several career options. Search for entry level jobs with pharmaceutical manufacturers, prosthesis developers, or scientific laboratories. Internships will make you a more experienced, and therefore desired, candidate. While working for a pharmaceutical manufacturer, you may develop new drugs and treatments. As an employee at a prosthesis developer, you will work on engineering prosthetic limbs and body parts. Excellent laboratory and research skills will prepare you to excel in a research laboratory.

Pursue a MA or PhD in biomedical engineering. Completing a Masters and or PhD program in biomedical engineering will prepare you to conduct advanced research and equip you to teach at a college or university. As a Masters student, you will explore specific sub-fields, such as biomedical optics and neurosensory engineering. You will take courses such as molecular biology and tissue engineering. As a PhD student, your field of study will becoming increasingly specialized. As you write your dissertation, you will specialize in the application of technology to a specific health problem.

Attend medical or dental school. After completing undergrad, it is extremely common for biomedical engineering students to enroll in medical or dental school. Your background in chemistry and biology will make you an excellent medical or dental school candidate. Pursuing these advanced degrees will further equip you to develop engineering-based solutions to health problems.

Enroll in law school. After graduating from college, a small number of biomedical engineering students will enter law school. As a former biomedical engineering student, you will have an advanced understanding of the fields of engineering, biology, and chemistry. As a law student, you may choose to specialize in intellectual property or patent law pertaining to biomedical inventions.