Ask a BU Senior in Engineering

CrazedChimp · 11-05-2009, 07:50 AM

Hey Everyone,

I haven't used this board in about 4 years, but when I was using it frequently there was a senior in SMG who opened himself up to any questions about the school. I thought that he was doing a pretty great thing, and decided that when it was my last year I would do the same. I see that there's a freshman and maybe some others that have beaten me to the punch, but if any of you have questions for me about BU, housing, the college of engineering, or about Biomedical Engineering in particular I'd be happy to do my best to answer them for you.

TheMan777 · 11-05-2009, 05:18 PM

Hmmm... I am also a BME, freshman - Just so I know what to expect (and what to be afraid of) what would you say were your hardest courses in the Biomedical Engineering curriculum? And overall - any tips, suggestions on what to do/not to do in BME?

CrazedChimp · 11-05-2009, 06:24 PM

My first tip would be to realize and try to appreciate that your course load will never be easier than it is Freshman year. Therefore, work as hard as you possibly can to give your GPA a boost when it's easy. I wish someone had told me that Freshman year. On the same note, don't pay less attention to your electives outside of engineering because they're easier, they can also boost your GPA a whole lot if you put effort into them.

Your hardest courses are going to be Junior year I think, Fluid Dynamics and Solid Mechanics are both brutal and you'll have to take one of them. So far I wouldn't really say senior year is easier than the past few (which is what I was told), but you definitely have way more freedom in your class choices.

Try to make connections with professors and get involved doing research or a side project early if you can (Junior and Senior year mainly). You'll learn your most marketable skills in the lab and not in the class room.

Colburn, Collins, Michael Smith, Attaway, and Jara are all really good professors, though you most likely won't be able to take classes with any of them except Attaway until Junior and Senior year.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Let me know if you have any more specific questions.

TheMan777 · 11-05-2009, 10:04 PM

=/ thats depressing - considering I got out of most of my general education classes and I am struggling for CH101 and MA225. In addition, I got credit for EK 127, so I won't have attaway next semester.

*sigh* looking forward to three years of hell >_<

CrazedChimp · 11-06-2009, 08:05 AM

Well, I struggled with CH101 and 102 as well. I just feel like I could have put more effort in and done better, but that might just be hindsight bias. I also got a worse grade in MA 225 than I did in 226, so I wouldn't count yourself out yet. Also, if you're already taking Multivariate you're apparently pretty far ahead of the curve.

It is going to be hard, but I do think you'll adapt to it a good amount.

Also, think seriously about what you want to do when you graduate. BME is one of the hardest engineering disciplines at BU, and it also has the lowest average starting salary and is hardest to get a job for.

For me, I still think BME was the right choice, and I'm not trying to be totally pessimistic about it. I think the BME program might have better profs than the other programs, it has a WAY better research program, and BU's undergrad and grad programs for BME are both in the top 10 for the country. It's really awesome to have a senior project where I'm working on analyzing novel Tuberculosis sequencing data at the Broad Institute, and also have a side project where I'm learning about cell culture and silk synthesis to create a tissue engineered blood vessel. I believe the most desirable senior projects for the Mechanical engineers were a dirt/rock separator and a device to keep snow of the top of trucks.

If you really feel passionate about BME and think you can put in the work, then definitely stay with it. It will be really hard, but rewarding and satisfying in the end. If you're not that passionate about BME, finish up the semester or year and see where you stand. LOTS of kids switch from BME to electrical or mechanical over the first year or two, and you won't have to play catch-up since the programs are all almost identical for the first couple years (except BMEs take two chem classes instead of one).

TheMan777 · 11-06-2009, 10:46 AM

Yea - I was aware of the terrible starting salary - although my engineering floor (which is full of BMEs) still think they will be making at least 70k after graduation.

I just feel that BME nowadays is way too general - the curriculum patches in so many aspects of different engineering/science fields i.e. mechanical, electrical, and biotech. So its both a good thing and a bad thing.

I guess I will definitely wait and see. I haven't really "seen" BME yet as I am still in the core curriculum. The field really peaks my curiosity about biology and the limits of human life. If I choose to switch I will likely still have enough credits to still be ahead in the curriculum.

While true Mechanical Engineers, Civil Engineers, and Chemical Engineers tend to make more - BME is still a really new field and will probably catch up in this generation.

CrazedChimp · 11-06-2009, 02:35 PM

I think it will catch up eventually for sure. However, as I understand it now, even though BME is the fastest growing engineering area, the number of students graduating is increasing even faster. The other problem is that a lot of the people heading up companies/hiring don't really understand what a degree in BME means. To design an implantable device they'll hire a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, a physiologist, and a biologist, even though a team of BMEs might be better. Both of those problems will hopefully improve with time.

Just to give your floormates some perspective, most of the BMEs in my class would be happy with $45k right after graduation. Obviously that will change with the economy, but if I remember correctly that was the average starting salary they told us we would get freshman year. I think they said Mechanical and Electrical were around $55k and Computer was around $60k. If you want to stick with it until you get a Ph.D., you definitely have a shot at a $70k+ starting salary.

I agree with you that the BME curriculum is too broad for it's own good in most situations. However, your last couple years (mainly senior year) will allow you to sort of choose an informal "specialty" if you want to. It's very possible to take a bunch of courses in software design or bioinformatics or tissue engineering, or whatever subset of BME you're most interested in, do some research work in that field, and graduate in a much better position than many others will be who are competing with you.

TheMan777 · 11-06-2009, 04:21 PM

Cool - interesting info - though I am pretty sure I will be aiming for my MS for BME - I am hoping to do a BS/MS - but the GPA req worries me =/.

By specialty - are you referring to concentrations (which would be cool in nanotech)?

I will definitely consider doing some research work! Though I don't have much information on where/how to do that...

CrazedChimp · 11-07-2009, 10:40 AM

I didn't mean the concentrations necessarily, as those weren't really available until last year. Instead I meant that that freedom you have senior year allows you to take a lot of courses specific to whatever you're interested in, and if you choose do to so you can finish your degree knowing a lot about one specific area.

There are a good deal of research/internship opportunities BU has, but I've found them to be really competitive. You can look around on the Engineering website/look for emails for more info on those I think. I think you'll have more luck if you can get in contact with a professor or better yet a grad student working in a field you're interested in.

I was interested in Tissue Engineering, so I got in contact with a professor who was doing Tissue Engineering research. She flat out told me that they weren't looking for anyone to volunteer at the moment. By an enormous stroke of luck I met one of the grad students working in that lab from a mutual friend, and she agreed to let me volunteer for her. If you talk to enough people you'll eventually find someone who can help you out.

TheMan777 · 11-07-2009, 02:37 PM

Yikes - that seems really hard to sink a position in. I took the EK 131 Tissue Engineering class with Professor Joyce Wong and I thought it was really interesting - but I think I may be a little more into the genetic side.

I see though that making lots of contacts is important! I have a job in a lab right now and its helpful to get acquainted with the procedures of a lab and the layouts of the lab. It is really really useful info. I actually saw a grad student take on a junior for his research in my lab, which is very similar to what you did.

Any suggestions on when to do this? I think junior year or senior year are great times to do this - but the summers may be better in timing.