Biomedical Engineer - Hot Job to 2020: Education and Experience Requirements

Siemen's, the world's largest manufacturer of hearing aids, can print the parts of a hearing aid from a computer station.

In fact, a hearing aid can be printed specifically to an individual's unique requirements.This is only one example of the end result of Biomedical Engineering processes that are fascinating and important to the future of HEalthcare as well as to other industries. The career of Biomedical Engineer is the US Federal Government's forecasted Number One job for expected growth from 2010 - 2020. Review the News links at the end of this Hub for coverage of Biomedical Engineering careers and developments as they happen.

>Speaking of medicine, November 8, 2010 was the 115th Anniversary of the discovery of the X-Ray.

Biomedical Engineers often research and design equipment, devices, and procedures or sequences that relate to Health and Medical conditions. They use advanced knowledge of the sciences of biology and medicine, and combine this with their training in electrical and mechanical engineering. In the 21st Century, they are perfecting means of living in outer space for prolonged periods, attending to such problems as loss of bone and muscle mass. A sleeping mat that vibrated at a low frequency and was used in Ohio Astronaut/Senator John Glenn's return to space at age 77 in 1998 was one of these devices. It helped to retain bone mass.

BE professionals work with medical scientists to produce new artificial organs, prostheses to replace missing body parts, instruments, medical information systems (MIS), and other systems. At this time, the body's own stem cells are also employed to grow new tissues for the patient. In addition, biomedical engineers develop devices and equipment such as new lower-radiation imaging systems (MRI), CyberKnife surgery, automatic insulin injections, and other miracles.

This is a specaility engineering profession, requiring advanced courses past the Electrical Enginnering degree (see course work listed above). Biomedical engineers benefit from having a training and experience background in mechanical or electronics engineering or related technologies as well. Teams of different categories of engineers and technologists work together.

Subspecialties of B.E. include:

• biomaterials (e.g.: an artificial cover for the Isles of Langerhans acts as a pancreas for diabetic recipients of these cell clusters that can cure them of Type I Diabetes; see link below),
• biomechanics,
• medical imaging,
• rehabilitation engineering,
• laboratory organ growth,
• orthopedic engineering,

and additional areas that are added as they emerge.

Many NASA Space Shuttle Missions included Health and Medical projects that have increased the effectiveness and comfort of prosthetics for today's patients, particularly Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars.

On 11/8/10, SimplyHired.com spidered across the Internet to find 4,300 job openings in Biomedical Enginneering. Where were they located?

The Top 10 Metro Areas listing the largest numbers of these job vacancies included:

1. Brea, Irvine, San Diego, Santa Rosa, and Northridge CA
2. Boston MA - Northeast
3. Memphis TN - South
4. Indianapolis IN - MidWest
5. Rockville MD - Northeast
6. Waukesha WI - MidWest
7. Cleveland OH - MidWest
8. Chaska MN - MidWest
9. Pittsburgh PA - Northeast
10. Atlanta GA - South

California is clearly the leading state in Biomedical Enginneering job listings with 5 cities. but 4 additional states are clustered in the MidWest Region, making that part of the country a leader as well. The Northeast includes 3 cities listing largte numbers of B.E. jobs, and the South, 2.  

The graph below demonstrates an 18-month increase in job listings for Biomedical Engineers in America by 497%, or a 5-times growth.

In early November 2010, the Top 10 Companies listing openings in Biomedical Engineering and spidered by SimplyHired.com were:

1. Medtronic
2. Beckman Coulter
3. DaVita
4. Kaiser Permanente
5. SAIC
6. MRI Network
7. SAIC-Frederick
8. QinetiQ North America
9. Becton Dickinson
10. Siemens -- Here is our Hearing Aid Leader at Number 10. Siemans USA employs 70,000 people, according to its web site.

(The next major job lister on this list would be the US Federal Government.)

A position for a Biomedical Engineer at Medtronic (Top Job Lister) in Northridge, California today listed these requirements.

• Department: Diabetes R & D (Research and Development)
• Travel Percentage: 10-20% of working hours
• Required Education: Bachelor of Science in Engineering, with 2 years of related experience and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Preferred Education: MS in Biomedical Engineering

This job listing advertised for a qualified person to work in the development of new diabetic glucose monitors. A large portion of B.E. work is involved in designing new medical equipment.

SimplyHired.com found that the average yearly income for a Biomedical Engineer in America is $70,000; in California, $79.000.

While B.E. positions among job listings in California declined somewhat in the 18 months ending 9/30/10, the decline has stabilized and new growth is expected to continue to 2020.

We can look at a local college in Northridge, California where a degree qualification for the job listing we examined above is offered, and check the educational requirements for a BS in Biomedical Engineering (see below),

I. College of Engineering and Computer Science

• Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering - A BS in Biomedical Engineering is offered within the programs of Electrical Engineering.

The link below describes the full course load for Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years of college for this degree, plus 4 additional Biomedical Engineering courses to advance the Electrical Engineering degree toward the Biomedical fields.

The extra, Biomedical courses:

• Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
• Biomedical Instrumentation
• Microprocessor Systems'
• Electronics II

In addition to all of these courses, a set of standard General Education Core Courses and Electives must also be taken.

High School Classes Required for Preparation

(NOTE: Biomedical engineering is vital to any continuing space program, government or privatized, and the federal government and NASA have placed emphasis on STEM courses in high school, tech school, and college: Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.)

• MATHEMATICS: algebra, plane geometry, trigonometry
• SCIENCES: chemistry, physics
• ENGLISH - 4 years.
• Students without pre-engineering in high school may be required to take remedial classes in addition to the regular college course work.

COLLEGE TESTS requires for entrance in to this college: Entry Level Mathematics Test and Mathematics, Chemistry, and English Placement Tests.

See the link below for complete details.