Early Career Guidance for Biomedical Engineering PremajorsKen Horch and Doug ChristensenDept. Bioengineering

University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT

The Problem

The Solution

The Results

The Problem

The Solution

The Results

• Premajor students typically have no real-world experience in engineering

• They have little or no information about Biomedical Engineering career opportunities

• Their schedules are too filled with core basic science and math classes for them to explore other areas

• They have to apply for admission to major status in the sophomore year of study

The Problem

The Solution

The Results

• Offer a careers orientation course in the first semester of the sophomore year

• Make the course one credit hour, pass/fail so students can focus on content not grade

• Have course material presented by practitioners in academia, industry, law and medicine

• Schedule course to minimize conflicts with courses students typically take that semester

Content of Presentations

• Path the speaker took to arrive at present position

• What work life is like in that field

• How students should prepare to enter field and what the future may hold

• Speakers are not compensated, but are free to say whatever they think is important

Speakers from Academia

• Department of Bioengineering chairstudents learn that, even

though this is a large state university, all the faculty in our department are personally interested in their education and well being

Speakers from Academia

• Young faculty member from another department in the College of Engineering who does not have a degree in BME, but whose research has a biomedical bentfor students who do not get

admitted to major status, there are other paths to working in the field of biomedical engineering

Speakers from Academia

• Two faculty members, one from Bioengineering and the other the chair of a department in the College of Pharmacy, who came to academia after a career in industry provide a good perspective on

the relative attractions of the two types of career paths

Speakers from Industry

• Executive from a large, multi-billion dollar, international biomedical device manufacturershows the advantages of

working for the big boys in the commodity, manufacturing oriented, biomedical business

Speakers from Industry

• President of a mid-sized biomedical device manufacturer

focuses on the importance of marketing in defining and occupying a specialty niche to compete at this level in the biomedical device industry

Speakers from Industry

• President and founder of a small, entrepreneurial biomedical device companystudents learn that it takes

more than a good idea, engineering talent, and a desire to save lives to build a successful biomedical company: one has to deal with federal regulation as well

Speakers from Law

• Patent attorneys from two different law firmsthis is a potentially lucrative

field for people with good communication skills in which individuals with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering are in high demand

Speakers from Medicine

• Practicing clinician with an appointment in the School of Medicine who is also a department chair in a private hospitalprovides a brief review of the

history of medicine and a insightful view of the future of medicine emphasizing the important role people with a degree in biomedical engineering will play in it

Speakers from Medicine

• MD/PhD who does both clinical practice and clinical research

gives a valuable perspective on the difference between the two

Speakers from Medicine

• Clinician from the School of Medicine who is also the founder of a successful biomedical device companypersonifies the importance and

rewards of choosing a career path that one enjoys

Requirements

• Attendance (expected, but not enforced)

• Term paper (enforced)

Prelude to Term Paper

• On first day of class, students write down:what they think the career

opportunities are in Biomedical Engineering

which of those they think they would like to pursue upon graduation

what they think they need to do to prepare for their selected options

Content of Term Paper

• At the end of the semester, students submit a paper that describes:what they thought at the

beginning of the semester the career opportunities are in Biomedical Engineering

what they now think the career opportunities are in Biomedical Engineering

Content of Term Paper (cont)

what they thought at the beginning of the semester they wanted to do upon graduation

what they now think they want to do upon graduation

Content of Term Paper (cont)

what they thought at the beginning of the semester they needed to do to prepare for their choice(s)

what they now think they need to do to prepare for their choice(s)

Content of Term Paper (cont)

what four speakers were most influential in changing their thinking (either for something or against something)

The Problem

The Solution

The Results

Students Like It

• “I took this class … because I wanted to learn from those in the field who have been there, done that. Sure enough, that is exactly what I got.”

• “When I started the course I thought I had it all figured out…I’m quite positive that it was a combination of both this class and my experience working in a laboratory [that] sealed my decisions.”

Major Advisor Likes It

• Students have thought about post-graduation plans

• Helps make selection of elective courses more efficient

• Provides context for advice about extra-curricular options (e.g., internships, research experience)

Speakers Like It

• Good community outreach – most speakers drawn from outside the college

• Speakers never refuse an opportunity to come back and participate again – often stating they wish they had a class like that when they were students

The College Dean Likes It

• “Bioengineering … education will lead not only to fantastic opportunities to help humanity through developing biomedical technologies and devices, but will also be excellent preparation for careers in medicine, law, government and business. [This course] enlightens students to a cross-section of their possibilities.”