Quick Facts and Links on Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering:
In the U.S. and Canada, Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering is one of several undergraduate engineering disciplines which have outpaced all others in growth since 1999. According to the American Society for Engineering Education, "bachelor's degrees in ... biomedical engineering increased by 192 percent over the past eight years". See: http://www.asee.org/publications/profiles/upload/2007ProfileEng.pdf.
Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering is among the most gender diverse areas of undergraduate engineering study in the U.S. and Canada. According to the American Society for Engineering Education 38.2% of Bachelor's degrees in Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering were awarded to women in 2006-2007, as compared to 18.1% overall across all engineering Bachelor's degrees. See: http://www.asee.org/publications/profiles/upload/2007ProfileEng.pdf.
"Biomedical engineers are expected to have 21 percent employment growth over the projections decade (2006-2016), much faster than the average for all occupations. The aging of the population and the focus on health issues will drive demand for better medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers. Along with the demand for more sophisticated medical equipment and procedures, an increased concern for cost-effectiveness will boost demand for biomedical engineers, particularly in pharmaceutical manufacturing and related industries." From the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Occupational Outlook Handbook.
"As a group, engineers earn some of the highest average starting salaries among those holding bachelor's degrees". According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers on average command similar mean, median and starting salaries to those of many other engineering specializations. For detailed information on typical earnings by engineers in the U.S., including Bioengineers, see: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm#earnings.
"Florida has one of the country's largest medical device sectors. Florida ranks 2nd in the U.S. for number of FDA-registered medical device establishments, according to the FDA (2007). Over 20,000 Floridians work in this sector, with a majority of companies located along the Florida High Tech Corridor in Central Florida, the Jacksonville area, and in the South Florida region." From eFlorida.
"With unmatched speed and energy, Florida has become the powerful new catalyst in the global life sciences industry. The state offers the science, talent and support infrastructure needed for the over 200 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies that call Florida home. The groundswell of activity in Florida's life sciences industry is a result of the state's demonstrated understanding of the needs of life science companies and its deep commitment to fulfilling them." "Florida was named a Top 5 Region for Biotech in 2008 by the industry's daily monitor, Fierce Biotech. This is Florida's 2nd consecutive year at the top of this ranking of regions supportive of biotech development." From eFlorida.
"A History of Biomedical Engineering". Excellent resource on the history of the field of Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering. Within the web archives of the Whitaker Foundation.
Information on the field of and careers in Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering:
BMEnet - The Biomedical Engineering Network. Includes career, job, and a number of additional resources.
"A Career in Biomedical Engineering". Resources within the web archives of the Whitaker Foundation.
"Engineer Your Life". A guide to engineering and careers in engineering for high school girls.
"Planning a Career in Biomedical Engineering". An excellent resource and FAQ provided by the Biomedical Engineering Society on Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering in general, with a number of specifics on career specializations and directions.
Professional Organizations and Clubs:
Annual Design Competitions of Interest to Students in Bioengineering:
Several of the professional organizations listed above generally run Student Design and/or Student Research competitions in conjunction with their annual conferences. These include, for example, the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (IEEE-EMBS), and the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). Check their web sites for details.
Additional annual student design opportunities and competitions described below:
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The Biomedical Engineering - Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Alliance (BME-IDEA) runs an annual student design competition. See: http://www.stanford.edu/group/biodesign/bme-idea/.
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The Collegiate Inventors Competition rewards and encourages hundreds of students to share their inventive ideas with the world each year. http://www.invent.org/collegiate/overview.html.
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International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) competition has a Student Design category. See: http://www.idsa.org/idea2008/index.html.
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Projects That Matter from Engineering World Health Projects is a way for talented engineers from anywhere in the world to help the people of the developing world.
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NISH runs an annual National Scholar Award competition for Workplace Innovation & Design to create technological solutions to barriers that prevent people with severe disabilities from entering or advancing in the workplace. See: http://www.nish.org/.
Summer Programs and Internships:
Current students interested in applying for summer internships locally or regionally should be in touch with the Department Chair, Dr. Sweeney, as well as the WSOE Academic Program Director, Dr. Zidek, well ahead of a given summer (e.g. by January or earlier of each academic year).
Most larger medical device and biotechnology companies run their own internship programs each summer. Many university-based or not-for-profit sponsored internships and summer volunteer experiences also exist nationally and internationally each year for students studying Bioengineering. For example, a number of universities offer competitively applied for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) or Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) programs. Applications to REU and SURF programs are often due early in a given calendar year.
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National Science Foundation (NSF) funded REU programs in bioengineering/biomedical engineering can be searched for at: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.cfm?unitid=10006.
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The Summer Institute of Engineering World Health is an opportunity for engineering students to gain hands on repair and design experience while simultaneously helping disadvantaged hospitals and patients in a developing nation. For details on the annual application process see: http://www.ewh.org/summer/index.php.
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Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research at the NIH. See http://www.training.nih.gov/student/sip/index.asp.
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SURF Program at NIST. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offers SURF programs each summer at both their Colorado and Virginia locations. Opportunities in Gaithersburg, Virginia are likely of most interest to students studying Bioengineering. See: http://www.surf.nist.gov/surf2.htm
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