Is an EE degree good enough for biomedical applications?

11/14/2010 1:49 AM EST

If your goal is to work developing medical devices than the Biomedical Engineering degree is a good choice. It contains electrical engineering courses as well as other engineering courses specific to development of devices for use with the human body.

11/14/2010 11:52 PM EST

I can't say what is "Good enough" but what is required. An EE degree definitely helps you there and some experience working in the Bio-Med field will get you there.

11/15/2010 3:00 PM EST

I think a survey of companies that make medical electronics devices would reveal a larger number of EEs than BMEs on the payroll.

The issue for you might come down to what is your primary interest? If you want to help design the product, or the chip(s) at the heart of the product, then you sound like an EE to me. If biology & medicine are more your strength, and you don't see yourself as becoming a circuit designer, than BME is a better choice.

11/16/2010 12:42 AM EST

Bio-medical engineering is inter disciplinary branch. It involves knowledge of many different branches – mechanical , electrical, chemical, bio-chemistry anatomy, physiology and few more. You may start it with EE in your under graduate study. Apart from core courses, take many selective course in above mentioned different branch in other departments. Also take your final year project in this field.
At last, do your graduate study and if possible post graduate study in field of bio-medical related research. This will bring you very close to being bio-medical engineer. After you develop few new products in this field, you are true bio-medical engineer.

11/16/2010 11:02 AM EST

One good resource to check out is the IEEE BioMed society which puts on one of the best biomed annual events. See http://embs.org/

11/16/2010 2:57 PM EST

ma12: a good source to ask about your career is right on your campus. I was impressed with professor's Sia presentation at MIT, especially that he has formed a company to carry out his work. I think another good question to ask yourself is: do I like to discover things or do I like to build things. That may define your career goals ahead of choosing between EE and BME. Sia can be reached here:
http://www.bme.columbia.edu/announcements/sia_mit/index.html

11/17/2010 1:08 AM EST

Dual degree, or bachelor's in one and master's in the other.

Some companies used to pay for your master's. That might be the best way to go. Unless you work for the engineering equivalent of Target.

11/19/2010 11:00 AM EST

I confronted the same problem when starting college in 2000... Ended up doing dual bachelors EE/Biomed.

Remember, a Biomed undegrad degree is worthless by itself if you want to go into that industry - grad school for that is mandatory. However, BSEE will get you into the door of a lot of companies all by itself. Then you can see if going further is of interest. I for one, found the DoD design world to be more interesting, and did an MSEE afterwords.

11/19/2010 12:11 PM EST

I beleive most of the engineers working in the medical device companies are actually EE's along with myself. It is good enough to have EE degree and interest towards working in medical devices group. Since the medical electronics is all about reliability and the sustainablity for longer life.

11/20/2010 10:31 PM EST

I would encourage you to consider the EE degree and then get your future employer to pay for the MS. Another means for determining what is best for you would be to talk with your local professors about your interest in BioMed and ask them what would be the best approach. Likewise, talk with the biomed companies recruiting on campus to see what they are looking for. It never hurts to ask..

11/29/2010 8:08 AM EST

I am an MSEE. Now doing biomedical chip design.
Would recommend you to take up EE major and then later switch on to BME. This way you can keep your options open.

11/30/2010 7:51 PM EST

Thank you all very much for your advice. I am also curious to find out your predictions for the long run:

As more BME students enter the workforce, will that degree become a must?

Do you think EE or BME jobs will be more or less prone to be outsourced?

Is one or the other better prep for technical design or management?

Are they/will they be equal in terms of lucrativeness?

(As you can probably tell I am looking for an exciting industry but a practical one as well.)

12/29/2010 12:18 AM EST

I think EE with few courses in chemistry/mechanical/physics would be helpful.