I’m currently in the process of researching and applying to engineering PhD programs. I would like to research medical device design or something similar. I will be graduating with a BS in mechanical engineering in May. Before majoring in mechanical engineering my intention was to become a medical doctor. As such, I have taken 5 biology courses including anatomy and physiology, psychology courses including cognitive psych, and organic chemistry. I’ve also interned at a pharmaceutical company and a well respected cancer research laboratory. My other internship was purely mechanical engineering.
Anyway, while researching PhD programs I’ve found both mechanical and biomedical engineering programs with research in medical device design (or similar). A third option is an engineering science program, offered at one of the schools on my list (making it a secondary concern, but still something I’d like to know more about). I know the basic differences between these programs, but I feel that I still lack enough information to make a decision.
Here are my primary questions / concerns:
How will my overall graduate experience differ regarding mechanical vs biomedical vs engineering science?
-Courses I will take?
-Type of lab work I will be doing?
-I’m sure a PhD in mechanical will give me the knowledge (through courses taken, not research) to design very broad range of products. Will a biomedical program give me this same breadth of knowledge?
How will prospective post-grad employment differ depending on what program I choose?
-Industry vs academia?
-Related to breadth of knowledge question: I assume research in medical device design with a PhD in mechanical will make me equally suited for an engineering job related to medicine or unrelated (e.g. aerospace) . However, with a PhD in biomedical engineering, would I only be suited for an engineering job related to medicine?
How will I be prepared for a given program considering my background?
Also, if it helps, I am looking at schools predominantly in the northeast of the US. Penn State is the farthest I’d stray from this region.
Any insight regarding my concerns would be much appreciated! ^:)^
P.S. I am not sure what is considered a lengthy post on this forum, but my apologies if I have been long-winded.
The department on your degree is much less important than your field of research and the professor who mentors your thesis. Find a program that gives you the coursework you want to have and the opportunity to do the kind of research you are interested in. You can come at it form a number of disciplines so don’t fret it too much.
If the research is going on there, then you can get your PhD there. Whether it’s biomedical or mechanical doesn’t matter. Particularly in industry, no one will care about the name on your diploma as long as you can do the work they want you to do. In academia, there are a few more constraints but across engineering disciplines I don’t think it would matter (a mechE could teach in a BME department and vice versa, probably, with the right coursework).
Thank you for your input. I was under the impression that the name on my diploma was the key indicator of whether or not I will be able to do the work that’s required. I guess one could make the argument that a PhD in any engineering disciple would be a safe indicator of adequate technical knowledge for a variety of applications.
No, because employers are not primarily concerned with what’s on your diploma - they won’t even see it.
What they’re really going to take into account is the prior work you’ve done in the field. If you go academia, you’ll write a research statement that explains the research you do, and you’ll give a job talk and do interviews that center around your research interests and expertise. If you go private industry, you’ll discuss your skills and expertise in your resume and cover letter using whatever language makes the most sense. Like I said, academia may care a little bit more, but even if you go mechanical and interview for a biomedical position, if you can clearly articulate why you fit well in a BME position you’d be fine. A quick look at the doctoral program faculty in JHU’s biomedical engineering department show people with doctoral degrees in medicine (MD), computational biology, physics, computer science, biochemistry, medical biophysics, electrical engineering, and physiology.
My PhD is in public health, with a concentration in psychology. I’m in a job that requires a PhD in psychology. I essentially had the same psychological education as my coworkers, though, through coursework and research, and I’m more than competent at the techniques we use. So they don’t care that the title of my PhD is technically a public health field.
Thanks again. In case anyone is interested, I am leaning towards mechanical at this point. The research related to medicine being conducted by mechanical departments seems to be closer to what I am interested in. For whatever reason, a lot of biomedical departments have research projects that appear to be largely electrical engineering at its core.