The Scope for Biomedical Engineering Career

The transition of human lives from the Industrial era to the Information age has increased our dependency on technology and knowledge. This has increased the scope for biomedical engineering and other related courses to a next level. We have stepped into a creator economy from a painful and time-consuming labor oriented economy. Our quest for knowledge and information created a boom in demand for technologically advanced networks and gadgetry.

Subsequently, along with every other area of human interest, the advancement of knowledge and technology has also impacted the fields of biology and medicine. This substantial impact of technology in biomedicine gave birth to a new field of medical sciences: biomedical engineering. But what is a biomedical engineer?

Understanding the ever growing scope for biomedical engineering

In recent years this new medical field gained popularity as well. We must understand the reason behind the popularity of this new kid in the biomedicine block. First we should know what biomedical engineering is all about and what is a biomedical engineer. As the name suggests, it is a combined scientific field of biology, medicine and engineering. The application of innovative engineering concepts to medicine and biology resulted in the development of revolutionary concepts for diagnosis and treatment of various medical conditions. New developments like advanced prosthetics, artificial organs, kidney dialysis, surgical robots, and tissue engineering to name a few.

The scope for biomedical engineering is everything around the improvement of human health and healthcare systems. By blending the power of technology with biomedicine, biomedical engineers have created many life-saving medical devices to increase the scope of biomedical engineering in our lives. These ultramodern medical apparatuses for diagnosis and testing not only raise the standards of living but also prolongs the human lifespan. Therefore aiming to improve quality of life and reduce disability.

What is a Biomedical Engineer?

Biomedical engineers are responsible to install, test, calibrate and repair ultramodern biomedical equipment. In addition, they conduct demonstrations on equipment operation and instruct other healthcare personnel in operating this equipment. They ensure these ultramodern medical devices’ effectiveness and safety that fulfil the purpose of their operation, telling the tale of huge scope for biomedical engineering.

Jobs available for Biomedical Engineers

Jobs for Biomedical Engineering consists of subfields like tissue, cellular and genetic engineering, computational biology, biomaterials, bio-nanotechnology, medical imaging, and biomedical electronics, among many others. This makes an immense job market for biomedical engineers.

While imaging and electronics have been around for decades, tissue engineering is a relatively new area. It has immense growth potential and contribution to the scope of biomedical engineering. Additionally, it is responsible for maintaining, restoring and improving damaged tissue while computational biology helps in human genome sequencing and modelling biological systems. The innovations in tissue engineering have enhanced the support and care for the global geriatric population: the ageing ‘Baby Boomers’. Moreover, tissue engineering also focuses on cultivating living tissue with active biological cells, creating transdermal patches used for controlling nicotine addiction, and wearable medical devices widely used by geriatric patients.

Lesser-known jobs in Biomedical Engineering:

Computer-assisted surgery and orthopaedic engineering are also some of the latest sought-after biomedical engineering technologies. In other words, almost all specialities today benefit from the efforts of biomedical engineers. Tissue engineering, nanotechnology and robotics are poised to make medical practice much more dependent on the success of biomedical engineers.

To keep up with the trend, both large and small companies in the health sector are investing heavily in developing new efficient bio medical devices and hence huge demand for skilled biomedical engineers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates a four per cent yearly hike in the number of job opportunities for biomedical engineers in the coming years. One can get an idea about the scope for biomedical engineering from this. A plethora of opportunities have been opened up for an individual to explore different specializations in the broad field of biomedical engineering.

Growing popularity of Biomedical Engineering

If you are thinking about whether a medical degree is an added advantage for a biomedical engineer; the answer is a firm yes. Jobs for biomedical engineers are growing exponentially and are nowhere seeming to recede. A clinician is always in a better position to understand patient problems, workflow and adaptability of various products and technologies. Therefore, a biomedical engineer with a medical background is better placed to identify problems, conceptualize solutions, select designs and communicate with end-users for adaptation. In addition, the scope for biomedical engineering opens opportunities in sales due to shared chemistry with the end buyers. So a medico involved in biomedical engineering can be a great asset to this rapidly evolving cross-disciplinary field of medicine.

Conclusion

In conclusion, every technological innovation is a useful tool for human progress. A bio medical engineering enables doctors to design devices that can help millions of people around the globe. Meanwhile, a doctor can only offer help and treatment to a single patient at a time. Job diversity is very high. As a result, you get to work on new problems, diverse teams and locations; and roles change as your career progresses. Innovation and Impact are highlights of a career as Biomedical Engineers.

Additionally, a corporate career has advantages of medical insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, and a retirement plan, further advancing the scope for biomedical engineering.

A master’s in biomedical engineering is offered in some of the most prestigious institutes of the country and abroad. However, there aren’t enough clinicians applying to these courses, relative to the demand, thus the scope for biomedical engineering remains high. The starting salaries are great, but growth is even better. Please check out our articles for more insights into job and salary data country wise.