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Career in Biomedical Engineering

Career Opportunities in Biomedical Engineering

Career opportunities in biomedical engineering is promising for an engineering aspirant wanting to contribute to health care. We have already witnessed that healthcare is something beyond doctors, nurses and hospitals.  As the technology encroaches on all domains, it is very important to note that even doctors are expected to have some basic engineering knowledge. The reason for this fact is that machines have started taking over most of the jobs of the doctors. Medical devices have started getting wider acceptance across the globe.

As the technology booms, we will see even implantation of devices will be common. In the biomedical engineering domain, we will see doctors as engineers or engineers as doctors.  Human to machine interaction is going to be the most required skill in this century. Engineering career is always promising if you are able to possess enough skills.

What does a career in biomedical engineering mean?

Johns Hopkins University tries to explain what BME is: “Biomedical engineering education must allow engineers to analyze a problem from both an engineering and biological perspective, anticipate the unique difficulties in working with living systems, and evaluate a wide range of possible approaches to solutions.”

A career in biomedical engineering plays a vital role in saving the lives of millions. It is important in the wide range of clinical fields. It ranges from consultation, diagnosis and its analysis, treatment and finally recovery. Biomedical Engineering  has already entered the public mind through the technology & development of implantable medical devices. Nowadays, devices such as pacemakers and artificial hips are becoming so common. Innovations like gene therapy, stem cell engineering and 3-D printing of biological organs can offer a great career in biomedical engineering. 

Expert doctors & engineers suggest that a career opportunities in biomedical engineering is interdisciplinary in nature. There are quite a lot of colleges offering biomedical engineering programmes. As this is focused on the upcoming technology, biomedical engineering can be a good option for those who love biology and maths. This has already proved to be a good option in the west. It is predicted that the demand for biomedical engineers will grow roughly by 20% in the coming years.

Biomedical Engineering – Preparation

It is important to have a pass in plus two in order to qualify for the engineering programme. To pursue a bright career in biomedical engineering, it is essential to have a strong foundation in mathematics, basic sciences, engineering, and life sciences. Students who complete their +2 with physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics can easily choose a career in biomedical engineering. 

Expert engineers and doctors say that “Biomedical engineering professionals play a vital role in developing and advancing the usage of medical devices and clinical services. Responsibility and job of the biomedical engineers is not just limited to managing medical devices and systems. It can also include analysing the impact of the medical devices, based on the skillset. They can also work on research and development, innovating devices that are easy to use. Selection of the devices for a specific purpose, integration of these devices with the patient records, etc. are also some of the jobs. Maintenance of the devices, electronic medical record systems, monitoring of the operation of the devices, safety training etc. are some other areas. Biomedical Engineers act as a bridge between healthcare and technology. Bridging is possible only with the help of technological skills and knowledge on life sciences. Research and innovation of health care devices that can be used by anyone, people of any age. It is not just limited to the industry, but also open in academia including the government institutions. Government agencies who are the watchdogs for the health care in India also employ biomedical engineers.  

Biomedical Engineering is not just a monolithic programme. Medical Colleges, Healthcare Institutions and Engineering colleges offer different types of programmes as part of a career in biomedical engineering. Though there is not much of a value given by the Indian students, the programme is highly regarded abroad. It will change soon as the technology is being applied in all the domains including healthcare.

Career opportunities in Biomedical Engineering – Job Prospects

Career opportunities in biomedical engineering includes manufacturing of healthcare and medical devices with the help of technology. This is one of the important jobs of biomedical engineers. It needs the merger of medical and engineering knowledge. Specialisation in bio-instrumentation, usage of bioelectronic instruments for the transmission and recording of physiological information is yet another role. Pacemakers, blood pressure monitors, electrocardiographs, oximeters, etc. can be manufactured only with the help of biomedical engineers.

It is very important to note that scientists and researchers in the biomedical engineering domain would need to use clinical trials too. This is to improve the health of the humans. As the medical devices are developed mainly to improve the health of the patients, it is important that the testing is to be done seriously. It is the duty of the organisation to ensure that the device is safe to use. Biomechanics is yet another area where biomedical researchers would find jobs. This is mainly to simulate the medical problems and body systems to aid the manufacturing of biomedical devices.