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Frequently Asked Questions
of Prospective BME Graduate Students
What is Biomedical Engineering?
Biomedical engineering is an emerging field in which
engineers use traditional engineering techniques to solve medical and
health-related problems. The biomedical engineer is a valuable resource
for industry as he/she offers the ability to communicate with both engineers
and clinicians. Since they speak both the languages of engineering
and medicine, they are well suited to coordinate interactions with each
group to improve both the speed in which projects can be completed and
the project's final quality.
Biomedical
engineering research is also a growing field, as funding agencies are
beginning to understand the ability of engineers to find high-tech solutions
to medical/health problems.
Biomedical
engineering is a diverse field having applications in all traditional
engineering specialties; thus, students from any engineering background
may flourish as a biomedical engineer.
What types of jobs could I get with a Biomedical Engineering degree?
There are many career opportunities for biomedical
engineers in both industry and academia. In industry, biomedical engineers
may function in a wide range of capacities: to design instruments, devices,
and software, to bring together knowledge from many technical sources
to develop new procedures, or to conduct research needed to solve clinical
problems. UK-CBME graduates are employed by companies such as NASA, GE,
Siemens, Biomet, Encore, Ethicon, and Bausch and Lomb. UK-CBME graduates
also have continued their education through medical school or continued
engineering degrees. For more information, please see Career Opportunities.
I haven’t taken a biology course since high school? Can I still
apply?
Absolutely! The suggested undergraduate courses
are highly dependent on the area of biomedical engineering in which you
are interested (the lab you want to work in), but biology is not a prerequisite
for applying to the biomedical engineering program.
What courses should I take before I apply?
The prerequisite for admission is completion of
a bachelors degree from an ABET-accredited undergraduate engineering program
or equivalent.
Students
often find that prior experience with physiology helps with the physiology
core course (PGY-412G). PGY-206, or equivalent, may help students
to better understand the material covered in the PGY-412G course.
Other undergraduate courses may be beneficial to specific biomedical
specialties. Discuss these courses with your future graduate advisor
or the Director of Graduate studies on an individual basis.
I’m worried about the Physiology core course. Do I really need to
take it to be a BME student?
Yes. Physiology is a defining course for biomedical
engineers as this course more than any other separates a biomedical engineer
from his/her traditional engineering counterpart. Anxiety about
taking a physiology course is common for students who are currently enrolled
in traditional engineering programs. Although BME graduate students
often find this course challenging, they survive. The important
concepts for your area of expertise will be re-iterated though your BME
core and elective courses as well as through your research.
Is there an undergraduate biomedical engineering program at UK?
The biomedical engineering program at UK is strictly
a graduate program; however, we are working with the traditional engineering
disciplines to establish an undergraduate certificate program in biomedical engineering.
Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) currently offers a "pre-biomedical engineering" track. Students
in the BME undergraduate track through Agricultural Engineering receive
a Bachelor of Science in BAE, but they take special sections
of undergraduate courses with biomedical engineering emphasis and examples.
These students are well prepared to either enter a career after completion
of their bachelor’s degree or to continue their education in the BME master’s
degree program. Similar models in mechanical, electrical, and chemical
engineering are in currently in the planning stages. The CBME also participates in the University Scholars Program, which offers highly motivated undergraduates the opportunity of integrating their undergraduate and graduate courses in a single continuous program culminating in both a baccalaureate and master’s degree. A proposal with BAE has already been submitted, and we are working with other traditional engineering departments to establish similar programs.
Are there RA/TA positions available in biomedical engineering at UK?
Research Assistant (RA) positions are available
and are awarded on an competitive basis. Discuss funding options
with individual professors to see what opportunities are available.
Unfortunately, because the UK-BME program does not have an undergraduate
curriculum, TA positions are not currently available.
What degrees are available through the UK-BME program?
The UK Center for Biomedical Engineering is a graduate
center for research and graduate studies. Traditional and Professional M.S. degrees and the
Ph.D. degree are available through the UK-BME program.
Is the UK-BME program Engineering or Life Science?
The UK-CBME has a strong tradition of engineering
research. Although the program is tightly associated with the UK
Medical Center (and officially located under the UKMC), the BME program
remains an engineering curriculum. Some of ourprofessors have joint
appointments in the College of Engineering and the Director of the Center
for Biomedical Engineering frequently interacts with the chair of traditional engineering programs in the College. The UK-BMES is also involved with the Engineering Student
Council (ESC) and participate in College of Engineering venues throughout
the year.
I
only have a 3.2 GPA in my undergraduate program. Are these grades
good enough to consider graduate school?
Although grades serve as an indicator of a student’s
undergraduate performance and graduate potential, they are not the only
consideration for admission to the graduate program. Discuss your
undergraduate grades and experiences with the Director of Graduate Studies
or a faculty member of interest on an individual basis before counting
yourself out!
What about the GRE?
The GRE is a necessary evil. It is required
for admission to the Graduate School and is used to assign financial awards;
however, the CBME faculty realize that standardized test scores do not
necessarily reflect the potential of a BME student. Discuss your
test scores with the Director of Graduate Studies or with your professor
of choice on an individual basis.
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How is UK different from other biomedical engineering programs?
- Close-knit community:
- We foster a strong sense of community amongst our graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff. Students are an integral and important part of the Center and are encouraged to be active, contributing members of our scientific community. We encourage a friendly and collegial scholarly community, in which people with diverse backgrounds can flourish. In addition to classroom and research activities, periodic social activities, such as fall and spring picnics and a winter holiday party, further strengthen relationships that can last a lifetime.
- Interdisciplinary environment:
- Although situated in its own building, it is ideally physically between the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Dentistry, Engineering, Medicine, and Pharmacy and the Chandler Medical Center. The CBME has close ties to faculty in programs within each of these units. These interactions are beneficial to BME students, as they have the opportunity to learn from faculty in each of these related programs. All these units are within a five minute walk from the CBME.
- Consolidation:
- Many biomedical engineering programs are “add-ons”
to traditional engineering programs. In these situations, the
program is scattered across campus, isolating the student from other
BME students and faculty. The UK Center for Biomedical Engineering
offers a consolidated environment where the core biomedical engineering
program is housed within a single building. This leads to improved
cooperation between laboratories and across specialties.
- Experience:
- The UK-BME program has been a degree granting
program since 1990; thus, the program has been training biomedical engineering
students for more than 10 years. However, its 10 years as a degree-granting
program are just scratch the surface of the biomedical engineering experience
at UK. Although the field of biomedical engineering had yet to be named as such, the first graduate degree based on biomedical engineering research at UK was awarded in 1959. As a research center, the center was funded
for numerous high-profile projects by NASA and others. The first computer on UK’s campus was housed in the CBME and used to control the 20 foot centrifuge which was used to study the effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular system. In recognition of its contributions to the field, the Center for Biomedical Engineering was officially established in 1985.
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- BMES:
- The UK student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering
Society (BMES) has been nationally recognized on four occasions in since
1993. The BMES national society has awarded its Meritorious Achievement
award to the UK-BMES to recognize the society's strong professional
development and service activities. The UK-BMES participates in
numerous activities throughout the year, including the College of Engineering
open house, E-Day, each February.
- I’m still interested in Biomedical Engineering. What should I do now?
There are a few steps that we recommend for you to follow:
- Browse the Web:
- First, browse the remainder of the UK-CBME and
BMES web pages the get a better feel for the research program and academic
curriculum. Familiarize yourself with the people associated with
the CBME and try to focus your search on a few labs of interest.
Contact the faculty members in charge of these labs for more information on current
projects and funding opportunities.
- Visit the CBME:
- If it is convenient for you to visit the CBME,
contact us (cbmedgs@uky.edu or 859-257-8101) to schedule
a visit. This can be an invaluable opportunity to meet the faculty,
staff, and students of the UK-CBME and see where you feel most comfortable.
- Still want More?
- If you are a UK undergraduate or are in the Lexington
area, consider: (1) taking a BME course as a senior level elective [BME
501, 481 and 530 are recommended], (2) taking an independent study in
biomedical engineering with a faculty member of interest (again as an
undergraduate elective), or (3) discuss possibilities of working as
an undergraduate research assistant with a faculty member of interest.
Discuss these options with a given faculty member on an individual basis
or contact the Director of Graduate Studies for more information
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