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What technical skills should I learn to improve my career as a biomedical engineer?
This is part of our professionals series, where we ask professionals what they think students should know
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3 answers
David Bilodeau
Senior Engineer, Systems Engineering
7
Answers
Carrollton, Texas
Updated
David’s Answer
For this field of study you will need a strong background in biology and engineering. That may sound obvious but in my case I had my undergrad in Biology and did post grad work in engineering, in particular electrical engineering, in preparation for grad school. I was accepted to the University of Texas graduate school of Biomedical Engineering but at the last minute decided not to pursue further study.
I can speak to what prepared me for the graduate program and it was my undergrad in biology and 2 semesters post grad in basic engineering that got me into the biomed lab to work with a doctoral candidate and a master’s student to help build an electronic shutter to control an NdYAG yellow-green laser which was being researched for use in treatment of bleeding ulcers.
Every bit of my degree and the post grad work came to bear in these tasks. I’d have been better off with a BS in biology instead of a BA but that is a story for another time.
I have read about biomedical engineers who were medical doctors first and later left to pursue the design, manufacture and use of such devices in the health care sector. Sure can’t hurt to have the medical knowledge too!
Study, study, study. There are no shortcuts in this highly technical field.
I can speak to what prepared me for the graduate program and it was my undergrad in biology and 2 semesters post grad in basic engineering that got me into the biomed lab to work with a doctoral candidate and a master’s student to help build an electronic shutter to control an NdYAG yellow-green laser which was being researched for use in treatment of bleeding ulcers.
Every bit of my degree and the post grad work came to bear in these tasks. I’d have been better off with a BS in biology instead of a BA but that is a story for another time.
I have read about biomedical engineers who were medical doctors first and later left to pursue the design, manufacture and use of such devices in the health care sector. Sure can’t hurt to have the medical knowledge too!
Study, study, study. There are no shortcuts in this highly technical field.
Husseina Abba
Contract Specialist
15
Answers
Cibolo, Texas
Updated
Husseina’s Answer
Engineering is a vast industry with many facets and areas specialize in. Below are the tops skillset:
1. Up to date technical knowledge
Technical knowledge and skills are the main skillset recruiters are looking for. It’s important to have the right educational background to set yourself on the right path, but it’s also important to show how far you’ve come since leaving education.
Stay at the top of your game by reading industry news, blogs and articles. Consider getting certified in new areas and technologies whenever relevant.
2. Communication
Although the bare bones of engineering often happen individually at a desk or computer, these projects always start and end with human discussion. It’s vital to be able to communicate and listen in order to ensure that the project is a success and any issues can be resolved quickly.
3. Leadership
Businesses want to know that you aren’t just there for a free ride. That when the going gets tough you are able to step up. Businesses want to hire people who want to be there and want to work their way up and add value to their organisation, leadership is a key quality in the modern world of engineering.
4. Interpersonal
Similarly to the last two skills, the ability to bring people together and influence, is of the utmost importance for the modern engineer. Collaboration and teamwork is a key part of many projects and the ability to build rapport in a team can guarantee the success or failure of many projects.
5. Critical reasoning
Using the knowledge you’ve acquired throughout education and your career means that you should have the core understanding needed to see the wood from the trees. Being critical allows you to realise where the value is in a piece of work and evaluate which points are crucial.
6. Creativity
The ability to creatively solve problems is key in any profession, engineering is no different. When problems arise and the most obvious solution isn’t possible it’s crucial to be able to solve the task in front of you in whatever way you can.
7. Innovation
There will always be a demand to keep making things better, faster or stronger. The very nature of engineering means that engineers are the people who need to deliver this day-in-day-out. Having the desire to innovate and solve problems should be a key skill that engineers strive for.
8. Enthusiasm
If you want to work as an engineer, show how much you want it. Having the desire to get up and go is crucial. Showing enthusiasm is a great skill that will help accelerate you in your career.
9. Attention to Detail
Being an engineer, accuracy and precision are both vital attributes. In this industry, mistakes can be costly as even the smallest miscalculation can have profound effects. Failure to pay attention to the small stuff can result in huge consequences when it comes to incurring costs or even health and safety.
10. Resilience
Finally, resilience is a great skill in any walk of life. The nature of an engineer means that you can be on call 24 hours a day which can be tough. Even in jobs where you don’t find yourself on call they can be equally as demanding in other ways. It’s important to demonstrate that you won’t fall at the first hurdle and can keep going throughout tough times.
1. Up to date technical knowledge
Technical knowledge and skills are the main skillset recruiters are looking for. It’s important to have the right educational background to set yourself on the right path, but it’s also important to show how far you’ve come since leaving education.
Stay at the top of your game by reading industry news, blogs and articles. Consider getting certified in new areas and technologies whenever relevant.
2. Communication
Although the bare bones of engineering often happen individually at a desk or computer, these projects always start and end with human discussion. It’s vital to be able to communicate and listen in order to ensure that the project is a success and any issues can be resolved quickly.
3. Leadership
Businesses want to know that you aren’t just there for a free ride. That when the going gets tough you are able to step up. Businesses want to hire people who want to be there and want to work their way up and add value to their organisation, leadership is a key quality in the modern world of engineering.
4. Interpersonal
Similarly to the last two skills, the ability to bring people together and influence, is of the utmost importance for the modern engineer. Collaboration and teamwork is a key part of many projects and the ability to build rapport in a team can guarantee the success or failure of many projects.
5. Critical reasoning
Using the knowledge you’ve acquired throughout education and your career means that you should have the core understanding needed to see the wood from the trees. Being critical allows you to realise where the value is in a piece of work and evaluate which points are crucial.
6. Creativity
The ability to creatively solve problems is key in any profession, engineering is no different. When problems arise and the most obvious solution isn’t possible it’s crucial to be able to solve the task in front of you in whatever way you can.
7. Innovation
There will always be a demand to keep making things better, faster or stronger. The very nature of engineering means that engineers are the people who need to deliver this day-in-day-out. Having the desire to innovate and solve problems should be a key skill that engineers strive for.
8. Enthusiasm
If you want to work as an engineer, show how much you want it. Having the desire to get up and go is crucial. Showing enthusiasm is a great skill that will help accelerate you in your career.
9. Attention to Detail
Being an engineer, accuracy and precision are both vital attributes. In this industry, mistakes can be costly as even the smallest miscalculation can have profound effects. Failure to pay attention to the small stuff can result in huge consequences when it comes to incurring costs or even health and safety.
10. Resilience
Finally, resilience is a great skill in any walk of life. The nature of an engineer means that you can be on call 24 hours a day which can be tough. Even in jobs where you don’t find yourself on call they can be equally as demanding in other ways. It’s important to demonstrate that you won’t fall at the first hurdle and can keep going throughout tough times.
Thank you so much!
Benni
Yatendra Malik
Do advance forecasting and capacity planning
3
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Yatendra’s Answer
I have done diploma in Radiology. Now I am working in domain utilizing my advance forecasting skills in analytics. So I think i can answer this question. Before answering your question.Let me just give you a glimpse on it.
It is a combination of Human Biology and Engineering. Now first thing is you should have a comprehensive knowledge of medical field as well as few subjects of engineering. The point is one should reach to a level where in he should utilize advance knowledge of mechanics and design to create something which would help in solving human physical problems. Ex devices like pacemaker for heart, coils for heart and brain nerves(used when nerves are blocked), prosthesis(artificial devices). All of these were created keeping in mind it would have minimum reaction on body(as human body is very sensitive to foreign things) and with maximum lifetime (as it would not be easy to change it everytime). Also while treatment there should be minimum harm to body. All of these were designed by biomedical engineers. So in layman's term you should be a medical grad and engineer both.
Coming to your question, there is not any specific technical skill which you can say that you can learn this to become biomedical engineer. I would say any technical skill would only contribute to merely 10-15% overall while doing the real job. Its like you should have your basic fundamentals clear and have thorough understanding of the concepts of medical and engineering. Which you would implement to develop something new or bring improvement in the existing technology. Its kind of more into research based domain.
Thank You
Best of luck for your career !!!!
It is a combination of Human Biology and Engineering. Now first thing is you should have a comprehensive knowledge of medical field as well as few subjects of engineering. The point is one should reach to a level where in he should utilize advance knowledge of mechanics and design to create something which would help in solving human physical problems. Ex devices like pacemaker for heart, coils for heart and brain nerves(used when nerves are blocked), prosthesis(artificial devices). All of these were created keeping in mind it would have minimum reaction on body(as human body is very sensitive to foreign things) and with maximum lifetime (as it would not be easy to change it everytime). Also while treatment there should be minimum harm to body. All of these were designed by biomedical engineers. So in layman's term you should be a medical grad and engineer both.
Coming to your question, there is not any specific technical skill which you can say that you can learn this to become biomedical engineer. I would say any technical skill would only contribute to merely 10-15% overall while doing the real job. Its like you should have your basic fundamentals clear and have thorough understanding of the concepts of medical and engineering. Which you would implement to develop something new or bring improvement in the existing technology. Its kind of more into research based domain.
Thank You
Best of luck for your career !!!!