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What does the biomedical engineering field and major look like?

I am looking at what to major in after highschool and was wondering if a major in biomedical was for me. I want to know what I would be doing as far as a career.

Thank you comment icon Biomedical engineering combines biology, medicine, and engineering to design healthcare solutions. In college, you study math, physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering courses like biomechanics and medical devices. Careers include designing prosthetics, developing medical devices, improving imaging systems, or working on tissue engineering. Jobs are often in labs, hospitals, or companies. You may do research, testing, or product design. It's a good fit if you like science, problem-solving, and helping people, but it can be challenging with heavy math and science. Clarence

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Ibrahim’s Answer

That’s a great question biomedical engineering is a really interesting and impactful field, so it makes sense you want to understand it better before choosing it as a major.

In simple terms, biomedical engineering is where engineering meets healthcare. As a student in this major, you would learn how to design and improve medical tools and technologies. This could include things like prosthetic limbs, medical imaging machines (like MRI), wearable health devices, or even software that helps doctors analyze patient data.

As a career, biomedical engineers often:

- Work on designing or testing medical devices

- Help improve hospital equipment and systems

- Collaborate with doctors and scientists to solve health problems

- Sometimes work in labs, hospitals, or tech/medical companies

Your college courses would likely include a mix of:

- Biology and human anatomy

- Chemistry

- Physics

- Math and engineering (like circuits or programming)

Two practical tips to help you decide:

1. Try exploring both sides do you enjoy both science (like biology) and problem-solving (like math or coding)? Biomedical engineering really needs both.

2. Look up internships, YouTube videos, or “day in the life” content from biomedical engineers to see what the work actually looks like.

If you like the idea of using technology to help improve people’s health and lives, this could be a great path for you. You’re asking the right questions. keep going!
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! Can this be an applicable major to combine with Physical Therapy? Lucy
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Ibrahim’s Answer

That’s a really smart follow-up question yes, biomedical engineering can absolutely connect well with physical therapy!

These two areas overlap in a few meaningful ways. Biomedical engineering focuses on creating and improving medical devices, while physical therapy focuses on helping people recover movement and function. When you combine them, you could work on things like rehabilitation technology, prosthetics, wearable devices, or tools that help patients recover faster and more effectively.

However, it’s important to know that physical therapy is a clinical career, which usually requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree after your bachelor’s. Biomedical engineering would be more on the technical/design side, not direct patient treatment unless you continue into PT school.

Here are two ways you could combine them:

1. Major in biomedical engineering, then go to physical therapy school this gives you both technical and clinical skills.

2. Stay in biomedical engineering and specialize in rehab devices or assistive technology, working alongside physical therapists.

A couple of practical tips:

Try shadowing a physical therapist to see if you enjoy working directly with patients.

Look into universities that offer pre-PT tracks or research in rehab technology.

If you like both helping people physically and building innovative solutions, this combination could be a powerful path. You’re thinking in a really thoughtful way. keep exploring!
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much! Your information has been extremely helpful! Lucy
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