Is there a future in biomedical engineering? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.
Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary field, and as such, a biomedical engineer can have a range of different specialties that range from electronics, optics, mechanics, materials science, basic biology, physiology, neuroscience, cardiovascular science, and other medical-related and engineering-related areas. For research in robotics and virtual reality, I imagine that an electrical and computer engineer can perform the job well, but a biomedical engineer with strong training in electrical and computer engineering as well as physiology and biomechanics could perform the job just as well if not better. The major advantage of a biomedical engineer over an electrical engineer in this example is the ability of the biomedical engineer to bridge the gap between fundamental knowledge of electrical engineering and the constraints of medical device design that are influenced by a patient's physiology or biomechanics. A biomedical engineer must be a bridge between basic research and patient outcomes, and thus it is critically important that you understand the fundamentals in your research area while understanding the needs of a patient and the hurdles that must be overcome to translate an idea to the clinic.
Bioengineers do a range of tasks depending on their core discipline, but the main areas of biomedical engineering research are in biomaterials, biomechanics, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, medical imaging (medical physics), and to a lesser degree, genetic engineering. Bioengineers in these topics are specially trained to perform translational research (that is, research that could be translated to clinical applications).
A strong capstone senior design project if available—put in your maximal effort to this project, as it could lead to letters of reference, patents, publications, or any number of deliverables, attributes, and learned expertise that will help your early career.
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