by In this article, we will cover the job duties, outlook, requirements, and education of a biomedical engineer.
We will also discover the experience and day-to-day routine of the job.
A biomedical engineer deals with constructing and designing medical equipment, devices, and software.
They use their knowledge base of math, engineering, and physics to meet the needs of healthcare and medical industries.
The profession of a biomedical engineer is highly demanded and requires a strong educational background.
Article Table of Contents
What Does a Biomedical Engineer Do?
Like many other engineers, a biomedical engineer designs computers, devices, and software.
The difference is that they work in the medical and healthcare field.
Many job-related factors of a biomedical engineer are similar to the other engineers, such as work hours, academic research, corporate structure, etc.
However, their focus is the improvement of care delivery, medical care, and other aspects of healthcare.
To get this job, one needs a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering.
Professionals in this area are in high demand, but the field can be competitive.
Job Duties
- Engage in medical research and trials to determine the effectiveness of medical devices.
- Design and develop research software, medical devices, monitoring, and data-collecting tools, prosthetic limbs, and other items.
- Repair and service the existing devices.
- Communicate with doctors, biologists, and other medical experts to determine the engineering methods or present new biomedical innovations that may aid in medical research or clinical cases.
- Create reports and evaluations of medical devices results, write manuals to the usage of devices, guidelines for doctors to prescribe and recommend them.
Fundamental Skills
Mathematical and design:
Biomedical engineers need technical skills to be able to design and put together a device or software.
So math skills, knowledge, and ability to layout and test the building process, intuition are required.
Medical knowledge:
Biomedical engineers need to be knowledgeable about the unsolved medical problems and determine how engineering can help solve them.
They also need to be aware of current medical software and devices used in medical care, so they don’t duplicate what’s existing.
They need knowledge in various medical areas to know where to go when they have questions or need to study deeper a particular topic.
How to Become a Medical Engineer
Similar to other engineers, biomedical engineers need to earn a bachelor’s degree in a specific subject and receive an on-the-job training in the area.
No licenses or certifications are required afterwards.
Education and Qualifications
Aspiring biomedical engineers should earn a degree in biomedical engineering.
They can start by learning another engineering area, but after it is necessary to get a biomedical degree to acquire the required skills and knowledge.
Connection to the medical field implies that they need to learn more than just principles of engineering.
The first necessary qualification is a degree.
A better reputation of a school is not the only reason for this, although it can be a benefit.
In various schools, the focus is on specific subjects and areas, which tells the potential employer what kind of knowledge and experience a candidate has.
Further, the employees receive training at the company, lab, hospital, or another facility where the engineer works.
Working Experience
Biomedical engineering programs establish relations with the employers and place interns with them.
This is a great opportunity to receive experience and learn about the daily work in a particular place.
However, an internship isn’t always required for the biomedical engineer to get a job.
Although, when filling in new positions, employers give preference to their interns.
Work Hours
The working hours of biomedical engineers are a lot like the hours of engineers in other areas.
Typically, they work a 40-hour workweek.
Sometimes, additional hours can be required.
But that isn’t as common for biomedical engineers as for, say, civil engineers.
Commonly, you will work a standard week.
If there are deadlines for submitting research papers or grant proposals, or deadlines from clients, some overtime can occur.
It will depend on the company you work for as well.
Career Outlook
To move up in the biomedical engineering area, professionals will need to acquire additional education.
Candidates can enroll in a medical school, get a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in biology, get into a law school or take an MBA program, etc.
It is usually optional after you have already worked as a biomedical engineer for some time and learned the requirements of the industry, etc.
Some people continue the research work, some become advisors or consultants.
The career path is flexible and the direction depends on the person and what they want to do with their knowledge.
Conclusion
Biomedical engineering, like other careers in the healthcare industry, is expected to grow.
The first step to engaging in the area is getting a degree in the field.
With that, the applicants can get an entry-level job.
Then, the most important asset is experience.
The payment in this area is high, and there is a high demand for biomedical engineers.
The healthcare industry is expected to grow and develop over the years.