Читать книгу 10 Best College Majors for the Next Decade - Matthew Boone's Warner - Страница 4

As technology has soaked into all parts of life, it has been applied to more than just instruments of recreation. The studies of medicine, biology, computers, chemistry, and engineering combine to develop devices and programs to extend human life. Prosthetics have evolved from antiquated wooden attachments to fully functioning extensions of the body. Organs grown from materials such as stem cells provide transplants to patients who may otherwise be forced to wait years on a donor list. Reproductively-challenged parents are able to have children of their own, and even choose the sex, thanks to IVF and genetic manipulation. Delicate and technical surgeries are made simpler and less perilous by AI and robotics which assist doctors. Deep tissue laser therapy eliminates pain and inflammation in athletes by stimulating the body at a cellular level. MRI’s, PET’s, ultrasound, and CT’s detect cancer before metastasis. Aural implants assist a child to hear their mother’s voice. Sophisticated devices and chairs give new life to disabled persons, allowing them to play sports, drive, and even dance. These all are contributions made by the science of biomedical engineering.

Why It’s An Emerging Profession: Although sciences and technology have been recognized disciplines for hundreds of years, their union is a fairly new idea. The perfect relationship was formed as a result: devices study how biological systems function, allowing the creation of new devices to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. Technology is the only reason that medicine has advanced as quickly as it has. Ideas, even those of the most brilliant and educated minds in the field, are nothing without the means to create. Strides made in computers and pharmaceuticals are why humans now live longer than ever before.

Courses of Study: Biomedical engineering is offered as bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs. Students who wish to advance in the field, especially in research and academics, typically secure graduate degrees. Courses at this level may include specialties such as physiological foundations, biomedical instrumentation, microfabrication, mechanics of living tissue, and magnetic resonance. Some schools offer joint degrees across several departments such as microbiology, applied biosciences, bioinformatics, and robotics.

The following is for a BS in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University:

Students will need approximately 46 credit hours of prerequisites such as physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Core classes and focus areas include biological models, molecules and cells, statistical methods, neural systems, imaging science, biomaterials, neuroengineering, and micro-devices. Computer programming, social sciences, humanities, and other electives add an additional 27 credit hours to the program for an average total of 129 credit hours for the undergraduate degree.

Top Universities for the Undergraduate Degree in Bioengineering by Region (2011-2012)

Northeast: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Private, $40,732/yr.

Mideast: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. Private, $42,280/yr.

Southeast: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. Public, $9,652/yr.

West Coast: University of California, La Jolla, CA. Public, $13,234yr.

Pacific Northwest: University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Public, $10,574/yr.

Midwest: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Public, $7,023/yr.

Southwest: Rice University, Houston, TX. Private, $35,560/yr.

All of the listed schools were ranked in the top 10 undergraduate programs for biomedical engineering by U. S. News & World Report.

Starting Job Titles with Salaries: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage for a biomedical engineer is $81,540 year with the highest 10 percent earning at or higher than $126,990, and the lowest 10 percent earning less than $49,690. Other common job descriptions directly related to biomedical engineering are:

•Medical Equipment Technician

•Pharmaceutical Manufacturer

•Imaging Technologist

•Biomedical Sciences Educator

•Medical Device Designer

•Clinical Analyst

•Bioinformatics Specialist

Additional Occupational Statistics

•States with the highest level of employment: CA, MA, PA, IL, and MN.

•It is projected that employment will increase 62 percent by the year 2020, to over 25,400 jobs in the U.S.

•Top paying states for this occupation: AK, CA, MN, MA, and AZ.

Opportunities for Research: Because it relies more on development than implementation, this is one of the occupation’s most prevalent areas as well as its highest earning. As diseases and illnesses evolve, so too must the techniques and tools designed to diagnose and treat them. Since the basics of the human body (i.e. bones and organs) never change, researchers have been able to build upon all previous knowledge and advances. However, the endeavor to combine this knowledge with the latest technology is a never-ending one. Research specialists study anatomical data and experiment in a variety of focus areas, such as molecules and cells, medical imaging, neuroscience, and tissue reconstruction.

Sources for this degree:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – www.bls.gov

Johns Hopkins University, Department of Biomedical Statistics – www.bme.jhu.edu

U.S. News & World Report – www.usnews.com

Georgia Institute of Technology – www.gatech.edu

Biomedical Engineering Society – www.bmes.org