3 answers
Meghan
Student
Millbrook, New York
5
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What are you doing with your bio-engineering degree?
What does a work day look like?
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3 answers
Megan Armstrong
Management consulting
2
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Megan’s Answer
The skills learned as a bioengineer are broadly applicable, even outside the field of bioengineering and science more broadly. The critical thinking and analytical skills that bioengineers develop are highly valued in fields such as consulting, banking, policy, and general management. I am currently working as a management consultant, where I use my ability to break problems down into discrete, testable pieces on a regular basis. I developed this skill doing experiments and design work as a biomedical engineer in training, and now I apply the same thinking to business problems.
For me as a consultant at the manager level, my work day looks like meeting with my team to prioritize the days tasks, having a couple meetings with clients to discuss the latest results on the problem we're trying to solve together, providing advice to another client / colleague, and thinking about how we as a team are solving the big business problem we're working on and translating that process / answer into written form.
Consider what aspects of the bioengineering degree are your favorite (e.g., is it the science, or is it the kind of impact you can have?) and explore jobs that let do those specific parts of the degree (including bioengineering jobs, of course!!)
For me as a consultant at the manager level, my work day looks like meeting with my team to prioritize the days tasks, having a couple meetings with clients to discuss the latest results on the problem we're trying to solve together, providing advice to another client / colleague, and thinking about how we as a team are solving the big business problem we're working on and translating that process / answer into written form.
Megan recommends the following next steps:
Sabina Ekua Andam
1
Answer
Updated
Sabina Ekua’s Answer
The work of a biomedical engineer is varied. It start from your ability to think through and provide useful solutions to Healthcare in terms of building machines that will be efficient in patient management. They also help in setup of new equipmens, training of end users of the equipments and also handling it maintenance.
A passion to be in the field is the first step towards becoming a good biomedical engineer.
A degree in the field is also required.
Sabina Ekua recommends the following next steps:
Rob Miller
Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer
1
Answer
Richland, Washington
Updated
Rob’s Answer
Hi Megan,
First, I would caution you that biomedical engineering does alot of work ON animals, not for them. They don't advertise that, but researchers still do experiments on animals and it can be hard to justify. It would be great if that type of research was replaced entirely by FEA.
I studied biomechanics for my graduate degree, and worked alot in my thesis advisor's lab. I spent many hours and learned alot in her lab. We worked on improving below knee prostheses and custom instrumentation to measure forces and moments during gait.
I have done mostly mechanical engineering because finding a company to work for in the field of prosthetics was limited. So I sought out work in medical devices. It can be rewarding work, but usually takes years of development and can be quite the rollercoaster ride.
Good luck 🤞
First, I would caution you that biomedical engineering does alot of work ON animals, not for them. They don't advertise that, but researchers still do experiments on animals and it can be hard to justify. It would be great if that type of research was replaced entirely by FEA.
I studied biomechanics for my graduate degree, and worked alot in my thesis advisor's lab. I spent many hours and learned alot in her lab. We worked on improving below knee prostheses and custom instrumentation to measure forces and moments during gait.
I have done mostly mechanical engineering because finding a company to work for in the field of prosthetics was limited. So I sought out work in medical devices. It can be rewarding work, but usually takes years of development and can be quite the rollercoaster ride.
Good luck 🤞