Why biomedical engineering major

Are you wondering exactly what you can do with a biomedical engineering degree? Here, we cover some of the most exciting types of jobs in biomedical engineering. Biomedical engineers may develop biomaterials , which can be either natural living tissue or artificial materials, for the human body to use.

Tissue engineering, biomedical implant development, drug delivery and nano implants are all areas that a biomaterials developer may work in. Biomaterials can be used to either repair or replace lost function to the body, or to detect and image disease.

Manufacturing engineers are involved with the design and production of products, striving to create goods that are low-cost and high-quality. In the biomedical field, these products are typically developed for use in the healthcare industry. They can include laboratory or hospital equipment, prosthetic limbs, imaging tools and more. Manufacturing engineers with biomedical engineering backgrounds can take leadership positions in the design of these products, or manage teams who are creating them.

Independent consultants in the biomedical engineering field work with medical organizations and research institutions to provide guidance and recommendations. Their input can affect how processes are executed, what type of equipment to use, how to organize a workforce and other crucial decisions. Independent biomedical consultants may work with a variety of businesses, and they sometimes consult with organizations for long periods of time.

Biomaterials - the application of materials, both natural and lab-made, that are used in medical devices or that are in contact with biological systems. Examples include artificial hearts, hip joints and stitches that dissolve on their own. Rehabilitation engineering - the invention of devices that assist people with physical and cognitive impairments through the use of engineering, biology and computer science.

Key transferable skills Studying biomedical engineering at university will help equip you with a range of transferable skills that are highly desirable to employers across a variety of industries and professions. Some of the key skills biomedical engineers develop include: Attention to detail Analytical skills Communication Teamworking The ability to empathise with patients The creative and technical ability to turn designs into products Excellent problem-solving skills Computer literacy Exciting and wide-ranging career opportunities Studying biomedical engineering at university will not limit you to just one career path.

Careers directly related to your degree in biomedical engineering include: Bioengineer Manufacturing engineer Biomedical scientist Rehabilitation engineer Biotechnologist Nanotechnologist Other careers you could pursue where your degree will be helpful include: Teacher Doctor Electrical engineer Chemical engineer Physician Biochemist Agricultural engineer Change lives Biomedical engineering focuses on saving and improving lives.

Some of the biggest breakthroughs that have occurred in biomedical engineering, changing lives and having a major impact in the world of healthcare, have included: X-ray machines - allowing medical professionals to see everything from broken bones to dental cavities.

Nanotechnology - the use of nanoparticles helps to detect and treat different forms of cancer at near-cellular level. Why study biomedical engineering at the University of Strathclyde?

Ranked 15th in the UK The Guardian University Guide , the University of Strathclyde is an ideal place to study biomedical engineering, with benefits such as: state-of-the-art technology in one of the longest-established biomedical engineering departments in the world. What pathway programme should I study? Some recent employers of our biomedical engineering majors are:. Robots for eye surgery, implantable defibrillators, artificial organs and tissues, prosthetics and bicycle helmets.

Thanks to biomedical engineering majors, these and other devices and systems help us not only live better lives, but longer ones. Learn more about the major in biomedical engineering. Visit the department that offers the biomedical engineering major. Log into your admissions application account to verify the status of your application. Medical companies and government agencies such as the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering in the US are constantly on the lookout for interns.

To find out more information regarding the kinds of internship programmes that universities or colleges have, we suggest that you contact them directly. We advise students to complete at least one internship or placement during the course of your study to better your chances at being hired when you enter the highly competitive job market. Internships and placements provide you with the perfect platform to network with industry experts and see how bioengineering is applied in a real-world setting.

Who knows, your internship might turn into a full-time job once you graduate! As you can probably guess, something this important is highly sought-after, biomedical engineers are employed in top pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, research facilities, government agencies, universities and many more. In a broad sense, biomedical engineering jobs can include performance testing of new or proposed products, teaching and research, become technical advisors or invent a new machine for medical purposes and so on.

This field is still evolving, and you never know what sort of doors will be open once you graduate! You can choose to obtain a graduate degree to lead a research team or take a law degree to become patent attorney. Bioengineers are needed to drive rapid innovations in medical technologies, such as 3-D printing and micro-electro-mechanical systems MEMS.

Many countries are seeing an increase in the demand for bioengineers. In Australia for instance, several biomedical giants have set up shop in the country, such as Cochlear a company that develops cochlear implants , Resmed a company that creates devices to treat sleep apnea and Ventracor as the name suggests, develops artificial hearts.

Meanwhile in the UK, numerous state-of-the-art research facilities have been created, including institutes of biomedical engineering at both Imperial College London and the University of Oxford. Bioinstrumentation - this area uses electronics and computer science to create devices that are used to diagnose and treat diseases. Biomaterials - you will look at natural or laboratory-designed materials that are used in medical devices or as implantation materials such as stitches that dissolve on their own etc.