<p>My thought would be that the engineering component would be preferable to straight bio but I could be wrong. I am involved in lateral hiring and almost all of the positions I fill require advanced degrees so I don’t usually work with attorneys who just have an undergrad degree.</p>
<p>A bachelor’s degree in biology is of no value in seeking a position as a patent attorney. In straight biology one needs at least a Master’s and more likely a Ph.D.
Bachelor’s degrees in bioengineering and biomechanical engineering may be sufficient now, but based on general trends in the profession, by and by a master’s degree will become more common, and likely to be at least preferred if not required.
I’m not familiar with the computation degree but if it involves more math or statistics than science it might not qualify one to take the PTO examination and might not provide enough science background to make an employer comfortable in hiring you.</p>
<p>The Biomedical computation degree is a combination of biology classes and computer science. It seems to like an even split between them, although it is apart of the school of engineering. It’s a pretty new major, and only 40 students have graduated with a bachelors.</p>
<p>I’m mostly just worried about the major, since it’s so new. Bioengineering is fairly new, too, but they definitely are more organized and have graduated more students. And I’m not sure if this really matters, but BioE is supported by both the med school and the engineering school.</p>
<p>Your opinion, dadofsam, on if BioE or Biomed Comp would be more useful or marketable?</p>
<p>One of my favorite sayings has become “No-one can predict the future who hasn’t been there”. That includes me. What the situation will be in the IP field 7 or 8 or more years from now, when (if in fact you fully carry out this plan) you will have graduated from both college and law school, is not possible to predict with any degree of accuracy. </p>
<p>In today’s job market I would say that a bioengineering degree would be highly preferable. With the passage of time it may come about that there is a need for patent attorneys who han handle both biotech and computer technology. However, it could also turn out that a bachelor’s degree in biocomp might not have enough training in either bio or computers to be useful in our profession.</p>
<p>That’s the best I can do for you. As I have said a number of times, [b/[opinion]** in choosing a college major, don’t factor in the possibility that you may wish to become a patent attorney - choose a major that you will ennjoy studying and will do well in. otherwise, (a) you may set yourself up for an unhappy college life and (b) you might not get good enough grades to use that degree professionally.</p>
<p>I would be careful about the marketability of a BS in bioengineering or even worse biomedical engineering in the current environment. They are among the least well paid of all engineering degrees and most employers (especially biotech medical device companies) will require an advanced degree. </p>
<p>You actually have a much better chance as a straight electrical, chemical, materials science or mechanical engineer to land a job in biomedicine as opposed to a biomedical engineer. Note that biomedical engineering is not an engineering discipline with an established core of knowledge. It is really a hodgepodge of a little of everything related to engineering applied to medicine. This is in part why MIT does not even offer a biomedical engineering degree. I have run several medical device companies and we never hired any biomedical engineers: plenty of CS and mechanical engineers though!</p>
<p>Bioengineering or more particularly biological engineering, on the other hand, is a new field based on the field of biology applied to many areas including the environment, energy, medicine. It has a solid basis but very much like biology or chemistry a BS degree in biological engineering is not a terminal degree. Check out the graduation surveys at place such as Berkeley and you will find that the vast majority continue on with graduate studies. Of the entire list, it seems only one student was effectively employed in the biomedical field in an engineering capacity after graduation.<br>
<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Bioengr.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Bioengr.stm</a></p>
<p>Thanks dadofsam for your input. I’ll definitely keep what you’ve said in mind. </p>
<p>@cellardweller: Yeah I sort of got that “hodge-podge” impression when I was looking at the major requirements for biomechanical engineering and bioE. Thanks!</p>
<p>I am an undergraduate(senior) with majors in biotechnology with research experience on biofuel from biomass , applying for Masters i have equivalent interest in biosystem engineering and biomedical engineering , but i have to choose between the two, as my eventual goal is to become a patent attorney my expertise knowledge in which of the field do you think would give me edge, cause once i choose i wont be settling anything less then a Phd ,<br>
however feel inclined towards biosystem engineering due to my research experience, but my basics for biomedical application are strong and feel there are more number of patents in the same , will my phd in biosystem engineering ( emphasis on biofuel) make me less applicable for patent attorney</p>
<p>If you want a job as a Patent Attorney, BSEE is the degree that will open the most doors.</p>
<p>Mechanical is probably second.</p>
<p>If you want to verify, look up various law firms (google patent firms or go to martindale.com). See where their attorneys went to school and the degrees rcvd.</p>
<p>What’s the average salary for a patent lawyer working in Washington DC, Chicago, or New York?</p>
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<p>EE is certainly sought after, but biotech/chemical is also very much in demand now. I would probably put mechanical after the bio/chem opportunities now.</p>
<p>No-one (certainly including me) can reasonably predict which degree will be more useful in 8 or 10 years from now, when, assuming that you will take this path, you complete your Ph.D. and graduate from law school. You need to stop and figure out which field you would prefer to spend your time working in for the next 5-7 years.</p>
<p>Dadofsam, thank you for all your great advice on this forum. I am a 2010 graduate with a BS in mechanical engineering, and I’ve been working for the past year. I believe I would enjoy a career in patent law more than I would enjoy a career in engineering. However, because of the uncertainty of the economy, and the fact that I’ve heard EEs and CEs are much more in demand as patent lawyers than MEs, I plan on getting my masters in mechanical engineering while working full time. </p>
<p>My question is this: what area of mechanical engineering would it be best to focus on to improve my prospects as a patent lawyer?</p>
<p>As you’ve said before, it is impossible to predict what the job market will be like in the future. So, assuming I was to graduate with my law degree today, what would be the best focus I could have in graduate school (acoustics, nanotechnology, fluid mechanics, materials… etc).</p>
<p>You’ve also made the point that it isn’t wise to study something you don’t enjoy, just as a stepping stone to a career you think you will enjoy, and I completely agree. I pretty broadly enjoy mechanical engineering, and believe I would enjoy focusing in just about any area.</p>
<p>illini87: I’m not familiar with the concentration options for a master’s degree in ME. Off the cuff, at this time the best prospects I can think of likely would be in materials science. nanotechnology (if such a concentration exists) or design of prosthetic and similar medical devices.</p>
<p>If you suggest a list of possible concentrations, I will try to comment further.</p>
<p>Here’s a list of some of the concentrations I’ve come across:</p>
<p>Nanotechnology, Solid Mechanics, Materials, Biomedical, Vibrations, Aerospace, Acoustics, Fluid Mechanics/Propulsion/Thermodynamics.</p>
<p>I’m leaning towards a concentration in materials science, with maybe one or two nanotechnology courses.</p>
<p>What do you think? Thanks.</p>
<p>As I said, that seems like a good possibility at this time. I hope you like that field of study; remember that in the end you might not end up becoming a patent attorney. You might choose to go into engineering or research, or even academia.</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I will soon have an MS in CE from a good university (got my BS in EECS), and I’m very interested in getting into patent law. However, for a number of reasons (weak job market, benefit of work experience, and the fact that I don’t have much time to study for and take the LSAT for this years admissions cycle) I’m looking into spending a year or two as a patent agent before going to law school. </p>
<p>Do you think this approach is wise? Obviously I’ll have to pass the patent bar first, which I plan to do during the coming school year. Is the job market for patent agents any better or worse than that of patent attorneys? I have done several internships in some well-known tech companies, but don’t have any real patent experience. </p>
<p>Should I instead apply for law schools? Or even go into the computer industry for a few years? Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>As discussed earlier in this thread, you might want to start in the profession by seeing if you can get a position as a technical advisor or patent engineer at a law firm, or perhaps at a company, or as a patent examiner in the USPTO. That will get you some experience in the field while you are becoming a patent engineer. Are you in a location where such positions are available?</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. The area where I go to school currently doesn’t have too many such jobs, but I am originally from the Bay Area (South Bay) and I plan on moving back there after I graduate. I’d expect there are positions available there.</p>
<p>Other than not having to take the patent bar (which will take a fair amount of time to study for), is there any benefit to being a technical advisor/patent engineer as opposed to a patent agent? I get the impression that it’s very difficult to get into this field, since all the job postings I’ve seen ask for at least 1-3 years of patent experience (even for technical advisor positions), so I thought that having the patent bar in hand would help my chances. Given my lack of patent experience, is there anything I can do to make myself stand out?</p>
<p>cppdev:</p>
<p>In the current economy, everything is more difficult than usual. The number of entry-level positions has decreased while the number of those competing for them has increased. That includes technical advisor positions, not all of which are advertised.</p>
<p>When you are ready to look for work, you should blanket all patent firms in the area with a well-written cover letter and resume, as well as using any personal contacts to connect with such firms, and with major corporations having in-house patent personnel in your technical field.</p>
<p>Note that there is no guarantee that this will open any doors for you; it’s just something you need to do to be thorough.</p>
<p>Being a patent agent when you apply for these jobs can put you a bit ahead of others, but remember that the technical advisor positions are expected to lead to those advisors becoming patent agents; for those most part technical advisors hit salary and status ceilings relatively quickly.</p>
<p>My situation may be different from other people in this forum. I am just out of law school and looking for job. When I was in law school, I had chances to get training in a small law firm and the legal department of a big pharma. I have a strong technical background and have written lots of scientific reports. However, it seems that the firms prefer people who have experience, i.e., drafting a significant number of patent applications. They are very reluctant to take fresh graduates. Passing the patent bar does not seem to help much. While this is not surprising under the current economic downturn, the question is how to get over it. I know that I should raise the question and take action earlier. I sent solicitation letters to the law firms in Midwest but did not get any positive response. I want to try the firms in DC but don’t know if there is any better. The future does not look pretty. I don’t want to give up at this time. But I also need to be realistic and look for other opportunities. Any suggestions? Thanks a lot!</p>