Advice for going from B.S. in ME to career in BME R&D

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I am planning on majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Biomaterials. My goal is to get into a R&D in industry. Within BME, my interests are Biomechanics, Biomaterials, Robotics in Surgery, and Nanotechnology.</p>

<p>—Undergraduate Studies—
I want to take the minor to get a basic foundation in Biomedical Engineering to help me get into a graduate program in Biomedical Engineering.
Biomaterials Minor Coursework

  1. Introduction to Machine Design
  2. Design of Machine Elements
  3. Materials Science: Structure and Properties of Materials
  4. Biomaterials: Manufacture, Properties, and Applications
  5. 3 courses in Bioelectricity, Engineering Methods in Biomechanics, and Biofluids
  6. 2 courses in Fundamentals of Biology (Molecular and Cellular Biology), Fundamentals of Biology (Cellular and Organ Physiology), Mammalian Physiology, Biochemistry I, and/or Organic Chemistry I</p>

<p>As a Mechanical Engineering major, can I still get an internship related to my fields of interest mentioned above? How can I stand out from other internship applicants who may be majoring in Biology or Biomedical Engineering? I figure that the courses from the Biomaterials Minor will help me stand out in terms of coursework to show that I am prepared and willing to take extra time to learn.</p>

<p>—Graduate Studies—
I plan to also get a graduate degree (Most likely, I will try to get into the Ph.D programs) in Biomedical Engineering. But before that, is there any value in getting a Masters in Mechanical Engineering with only an extra year? I plan to do the thesis option.</p>

<p>—Career—
What areas of R&D in industry related to Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology or Medical Devices is seeing a lot of activity recently?</p>

2

<p>Come to think of it, would a minor in Electrical Engineering also be good?</p>

<p>If the minor in Biomaterials and Electrical Engineering will make me take an extra year to graduate, i wouldn’t mind since the tuition I’m paying is low enough that an extra year wouldn’t hurt or put me in serious debt.</p>

3

<p>Bump. Bump.</p>