Preparation for Sophomore Year in BME

Prof. Kristen Billiar

February 14, 2006

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Intro - what’s an advisor ?

• Information/advice on major, courses and projects

• Educational mentoring and career counseling

• An advocate to help you succeed

• A contact person, who can direct you to services on campus

• A person who may write recommendation letters for you

• http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/advising.html

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How Should I Prepare for a Career in Biomedical Engineering?

• First plan to become a good engineer

• Then acquire a working understanding of the life sciences and terminology

• Good communication skills are also important

• Biomedical engineer provides a vital link with professionals having medical, technical, and other backgrounds

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Where do I find information about BME and about the concentrations?

• Info on major – http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/About/

• Specializations/tracks– you should be locked in on one http://

www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/

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http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/

http://users.wpi.edu/~kbilliar/service_adviseersrc.html

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What do I need to do before meeting with my advisor to get the most out of

our meeting?

• Fill out a proposed course schedule for upcoming year

• Fill out a BME tracking document and tentative 4 year plan

• Any questions you have – about IQP, summer jobs, career planning, etc.

• Degree evaluation– https://cosmo.admin.wpi.edu/pls/prod/twbkwbis.P_WWWLogin – Student services/student records/Degree evaluation

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Which courses should I take? • Course chart in undergraduate catalog

– http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/program.html

– Information on course sequences, etc.

• Pick focus areas/skills needed

• courses that students “must” have and when courses “must” be completed; courses needed before MQP; etc. – 3 of 4 of the intro/foundations courses– BME 3300 Design – A term Junior Year– Living systems experimental requirement – (BME3110 not offered)

• 1/6 credit BB courses – Recommended Background 1000/2000 BB course • BB3511 Nerve and Muscle Physio A-D terms (Cat I)• BB3514 Circulation and Respiratory Physio A-D terms (Cat I)• BB2903 Anatomy and Physiology C-term (Cat I)

• Evaluations (how to get, how to read)– http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/Catalogs/Ugrad/Current/wrcourses.html

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How do I schedule in all those courses?

• Forms and sample filled out versions available at:– http://users.wpi.edu/~kbilliar/service_adviseersrc.html

• BME Tracking document – to figure out what you need to graduate - Fill it in EACH semester! – http://users.wpi.edu/~kbilliar/documents/BE%20Tracking

%20Document%20v3.0.doc

• 4 year plan – helpful for detailed scheduling– http://users.wpi.edu/~kbilliar/documents/BME%20Undergrad

%204%20year%20course%20planning%20template.doc

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How do I schedule in all those courses?

• Course schedules:– http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Registrar/Rainbow/

ugrad0607.pdf

– http://users.wpi.edu/~kbilliar/documents/AY2006courselist.pdf

• Watch out for category II classes (check course schedules)

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How do I select an IQP?

• Complete or schedule Suff sophomore year if possible

• How to find an IQP?

• Off-campus IQP– global perspectives program – apply A-term Soph year

http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/IGSD/

• On campus IQP– for students not participating in off-campus IQP

program, be sure to schedule an IQP for junior year before leaving for the summer

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How do I select an MQP?

B or C-term Junior year

Go to: http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/projects.html for ideas

• posted projects on projects site, cross referenced with other departments – FEW profs post!

• Propose your own idea and group?

• Think of background courses and experiences that you’ll need for your MQP– Analysis/design skills - FEM/CAD, Circuits, materials– Lab skills - wet lab, cell culture, testing– Writing

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What’s the difference between BME biomechanics track and ME biomechanics

concentration?

• What do you want to do?• Skills and experiences are most important, dept less

– Both accredited by ABET. Both sufficiently flexible

• distribution requirements needed to graduate – BE department requires greater depth in science (e.g., experimental

biology, human physiology, experimental physiology), – ME department requires a greater number of engineering and design

courses

• BE possibly more suitable – mechanics of living cells and tissues, research– BME up and coming – hot field – “bilingual” – more broad

• ME possibly more suitable– design of prosthetics and rehabilitation devices – ME more established, employers know what it is

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Can I major in Biomedical Engineering and have the prerequisites for medical school?

• Yes, BME is an excellent premed major!

• Graduating in four years while fulfilling the prerequisites requires careful planning and you should discuss your goal with your advisor as early as possible.

• The only courses not specifically covered – two organic chemistry lecture courses – one organic chemistry laboratory. – Two of these can be counted as your two electives - the final

one will be an extra course. You'll probably also want to take biochemistry.

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How can I improve my job prospects and marketability?

• Do professional/community service

• get a career oriented summer job

• work in a lab on campus, at UMMS, or at another university

• See also the BMES Careers site– http://www.bmes.org/careers.asp

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How do I find a job or research internship over the summer?

• REU and summer internships are great, but competitive

• Talk to students – get slides from “WPI BMES seminar: What I did last summer”

• Check under student resources http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Resources/links.html

• REUs: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm • Career Development Center information sessions

– Summer Internships and Cooperative Education– Given by CDC on academic advising day

• • Check our MassMEDIC for Massachusetts companies http://

www.massmedic.com/

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What can I do with a BS, MS, and PhD?

• Undergraduate (BS) Degree (Biomaterials example)– Device/Implant Design and Development Team– Biomaterials Selection/Feasibility Assessment– Clinical, User Interface– QA/QC/Regulatory/Sales– Laboratory Technician– Graduate School

• Masters (MS/ME) Degree– Team Leader/Program Manager– Research and Development

• Doctoral (PhD) Degree– Director of Research and Development– Academic Research

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When do I sign up for the BS/MS program?

o Too early to worry about, but if interested, go to site:http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/bsms.html

o Submit “Course Designation Form” spring of Junior yearo Get signatures of instructors of 4000-level courses you’d like to

double count – before you take the course o Completely SEPARATE from admission to the graduate program

o Formal (full) application fall of senior yearo Same as normal process except no GRE and fees waivedo Advice - apply to other schools and take GRE anyway

o 3.2 GPA overall and 3.5 GPA in major

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What is ABET and why should I care?

• American Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET)– Official accreditation body for biomedical engineering programs in the United States – also other applied science, computing, engineering, and technology– non-governmental, peer review process that ensures educational quality.

• Accreditation ensures the quality of the postsecondary education students receive. – accreditation is not a ranking system. It is simply assurance that a program or institution

meets established quality standards– desirable in any academic program geared toward training professionals – current licensure requirements require graduation from an accredited program as a

prerequisite requirement for the Professional Engineer (PE) license

– Really a FEEDBACK process – students and alums are the “clients”

• Educational institutions or programs volunteer – to periodically undergo this review in order to determine if certain criteria are being met– Generally every six years (if lucky)

• WPI BME accredited in 2003, next review 2008-2009. – 36 as of November 2005 of ~100 institutions– Current list of accredited undergraduate programs at the ABET web site www.abet.org

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Why should I join the BMES chapter? Should I join BMES national?

o Yes, and GET INVOLVED! It’s there for you!

o Info on website under “undergraduate programs”

o http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/ - follow link

o National BMES is a resource for you – access to the profession

o Skills builder, Resume builder

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What’s a mentor?

• Information/advice on major, courses and projects

• Educational mentoring and career counseling

• An advocate to help your mentee succeed

• A contact person, who can direct you to services on campus

• http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/advising.html