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/sci/ - Science & Math

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4669754 No.4669754 [Reply] [Original]

Hey /sci/
I want to be a biomedical engineer.

or rather, i want to build and design medical nanobots and internal prosthesis for use in enhancing cognitive and physical function in the human body.

only problem is, there really is much of a job market for that kind of thing.
So I figure I could major in chemical engineering and get a masters in biomedical later, but make it easier for me to get a job in the meantime, or major in biomedical and be unemployed for years, but know more of what I think I need to.

you guys have any ideas as to what I should do to achieve not only my dream, but possibly financial success a little quicker?

>> No.4669767

obligatory self bump

>> No.4669775

well shit.
maybe i just take classes for the next fifteen years then try to get some grant money once I have about six titles.
yeah
yeah that'll work

>> No.4669798

Most biomedical jobs aren't quite as cool scifi as what you describe, but there are a lot of biomedical jobs. Most of the deal with scanning technology MRI, CAT, etc, or assisted living devices for seniors.

I did computer engineering with the biomedical option (my school didn't offer pure biomedical). Before even writing my last exams I was offered a job with a non-profit cancer research agency. I spent two years working on a mass screening system, creating image analysis algorithms which could quickly identify cancerous cells in specially treated microscope slides.

Non-profit doesn't mean you don't get payed, it means the organization is supported by grants and donations because everything produced is given away freely. It still didn't pay as much as other engineering jobs though, so I grabbed a job designing power plant systems a year ago. There was no problem switching to a slightly different career. Engineers have generalized knowledge and do that a lot.

Next week I'm starting a new job designing extremely high end monitoring equipment for olympic level athletes. I wouldn't have got it if I was just a regular computer engineer.

>> No.4669807
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4669807

>>4669798
>>4669798

hm.. thanks, that's really informative.

so.. I guess if I want to do the whole "improving human efficiency" thing i'm gonna basically have to start the entire field?

well... if anything that will give me time to study...

>> No.4669813

most people in that field are ME and EE. i suggest you pursue whichever is closest to what you want to do. keep a good gpa because this is the filter to internships. try to do research at your college thats related

>> No.4669840

>i want to build and design medical nanobots and internal prosthesis for use in enhancing cognitive function

As someone who got a degree in neuroscience and does neuroscience research, let me assure you we are nowhere near that level of technology yet. The best we've got are replacement limbs that can be controlled with brain-machine interfaces. I could see human versions of that coming out in the next 15 years, although currently no company is doing work on that, it's all academic labs. But when it comes to boosting cognitive function, the closest thing we've got are driving electrodes into people's brains to cure depression, and that's a brand-spanking new technology.

If you want guaranteed financial success, get an MD. That degree lets you do ANYTHING. Want to be a physician? No shit you can be a physician. Want to be a scientist? You can be a scientist. Want to do biomedical engineering? You can do that too (or at least consult). Want to work in a pharma company designing drugs? Sure thing. The only catch is that getting into medical school these days is tantamount to shitting a diamond (which would actually be really helpful considering med school tuition is going to put you about $150,000 to $250,000 in debt).

>> No.4669841

>>4669813
hm.. good point.

so pick a college depending on what programs they have running there, not by major?

>> No.4669850

>>4669840

yeah that cost thing is really the prohibitive factor, although, I wasn't aware that an MD could land me a job anywhere besides the medical field

>> No.4669875

>>4669850
If the cost is the issue, there are a few ways around that:

1. Get an MD/PhD. You get both an MD and a PhD when you graduate, and as a bonus med school is completely free when you go this route. The downside is that these programs will take half of your life to complete and are hard as balls to get into since the competition for these admission to these programs consists of nothing but geniuses.

2. Agree to serve as a military doctor for a few years and the US government will pay off all your med school tuition.

>> No.4669889

>>4669875
well, i'm certainly no genius, so maybe that isn't really feasible.

and as for the military doctor thing, I have actually looked into that, unfortunately, I have a nervous tic, which is a disqualifying factor from military service.

The MD/PhD route does seem somewhat feasible, however, it might just mean that I have to go into debt for the greater part of my life for a slim chance at attaining the grant money I need to further my research.
which may not be quite the smartest route if I want something like "financial security"

>> No.4669919

>>4669889
If you want to do research with an MD, you really do need to go the MD/PhD route, or just a straight up PhD. There's no way you'll be making enough money as a researcher to pay off a med school loan debt. Even primary care physicians and pediatricians often can't pay off their debts (hence why there are so few of them). Med school costs these days really do assume that you're planning on specializing in a high paying field since that's the only way you're going to be able to see a return on your investment.

If you want to do MD/PhD, the most important thing is research experience. If you can have some papers and conference presentations, you'll be in good shape. Also keep in mind that the average GPA for matriculating MD/PhD students is 3.80 and the average MCAT score is a 35 (correlates to 95th percentile on what is probably the hardest admissions test out there; its essentially a final exam for the biology major). The only upshot is that it's rare for undergrads to get amazing research experience, so if you get first authored papers, poster presentations at national conferences, and a thesis, you can probably get away with lower than average stats.

>> No.4669933

>>4669919

so just be overly exceptional at several fields and push ceaselessly into research and promising internships?
lead ya loud and clear.

Also, That seems wildly difficult.
maybe I should invest in adderall?

>> No.4669933,1 [INTERNAL] 

Speaking from experience, you need to get an internship or co-op while in school or you are in for a bad time after grad.