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Anthony Sharma
Mr. Gustafson
CAD Engineering 1
August 26, 2016
Biomedical Engineering
Out of the many interesting careers in engineering, biomedical engineering is a unique
and interesting field to work in. Biomedical engineers combine engineering principles with
medical and biological sciences to design and create equipment, devices, computer systems, and
software used in healthcare. Because of the growing necessity of new technology in the medical
field, people with this occupation are much needed. This career is also has a lot of different
specialty areas, featuring more focused work. Overall it is an interesting career choice.
As with most jobs, the daily labor is something to be considered. One of the many jobs
they do is designing equipment and devices, such as artificial internal organs, replacements for
body parts, and machines for diagnosing medical problems. This is probably the most vital of
all the duties they do, as most new medical technology is made by biomedical engineers. They
may also have to provide technical support and evaluate the safety for biomedical equipment.
You possibly will have to train clinicians, work with scientists, write reports and present your
findings. The manual labor required in being a biomedical engineer is minimal but some
dexterity is required. In addition to the dexterity needed you will also want to possess analytical
skills, communication skills, creativity, math skills and of course problem solving skills.
Generally these skills can be gained through a college degree.

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Another important thing to know about an appealing career field is information about the
work setting. Biomedical engineers may work in different types of work environments such as
equipment and supplies manufacturing, research/development, medicine manufacturing, assorted
manufacturing and other places like hospitals, research facilities and educational locations.
Usually not much travel is involved possibly only to other clinics around the city. However,
biomedical jobs can be quite hard to come by so there may not be many opportunities in the
general vicinity. When it comes to safety and hazards there will usually just be standard lab
protocol, which will all be taught in normal post-secondary schooling. It mostly just common
sense and could be abided by easily. There are also possibilities of being burned, shocked
electrically, harmed by radiation or sickened by toxic fumes, but these are all very dependent in
which work environment you are in.
Biomedical engineering is a relatively small field with only 22,100 people working
during 2014 in the US. Although there are so few people working as biomedical engineers, the
expected growth of the field is projected to grow 23 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster
than the average for all occupations. Jobwise, that means there will be another 5,100 jobs in
2024. This is insane considering that engineering as a whole is only projected a measly 4%
growth and all occupations, on average, are expected at 7%. Some nearby states with the most
available jobs are, California, Washington, Texas and Colorado.
The next important thing to know about biomedical engineering is the way to become an
accredited biomedical engineer. Biomedical engineers typically need a bachelors degree in
biomedical engineering or bioengineering. They also may want to take as many as possible high
school science and math classes. Courses in drafting or mechanical drawing and in computer
programming are also useful. After completing a college degree consider either volunteer work,

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an internship or even both. Finally, of course, certification for being an engineer in needed. Get a
Fundamentals of Engineering License and also a Principles and Practice of Engineering License.
The two exams these licenses are based upon will require you two have a degree from an ABET
(Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) program.
As with most jobs, climbing the career ladder in an important and vital way of making
money. People with more experience or education will often be given the greater responsibly and
pay. To lead a research team, a biomedical engineer generally needs a graduate degree. Having
either a medical or dental degree can enable the specialization in applications at the forefront of
patient care. Some engineers earn law degrees and work as patent attorneys. A final possibility
is to get an MBA and move in to positions based more on managing. You may also be moved to
higher positions after working at a company for a really long time.
Of course, the only real reason people ever get a job is to make money. The median
annual wage for biomedical engineers was $86,220 in May 2015. The lowest 10% was making
less than $52,000 then while the highest 10% was making more than $139,000. The highest
paying jobs were in research and development; the lower ones were in hospitals. Most
Biomedical Engineers receive excellent benefits. These generally include medical insurance,
vacation leave, sick leave, dental insurance, and a retirement plan. Other benefits may include
vision and life insurance.
Some of the main employers in the biomedical field are companies like Aptus
Endosytems, AtriCure, CardioKinetix. Aptus Endosystems is a medical device company that is
engaged in the development of treatment for Aortic Aneuysms. The headquarters are located in
Sunnyvale, California. Next is AtriCure, which is a global organization leading the development
of surgical devices. This team is devoted to serving patients, medical professionals and investors.

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Headquarters are located in Mason Ohio but there are many other locations. CardioKinetix is
an early stage medical device company developing proprietary devices for the treatment of heart
failure. They are located in Menlo Park, California. Most of these companies and companies
like this will only hire a few biomedical engineers each.
Like previously mentioned, the first step to getting a position as a biomedical engineer
would have to be taking classes in high school. Classes like CAD Engineering and Anatomy
would probably be best. Also take as many math and science classes as possible. Next, go to a
college, and get your degree in Biomedical engineering. After that, take the tests you need to
become a certified engineer. (FEL, PPEL) As stated before an internship or volunteer work will
help and give a more distinguished look. A good time to start looking for work is when college is
halfway completed.
Overall biomedical engineering is a very interesting field and should be considered when
thinking about going into either engineering or health.

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Bibliography
"List of Biomedical Engineering Companies." Ranker. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2016.
"How to Become a Biomedical Engineer in 5 Steps." Learn.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug.
2016.
"Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d. Web.
24 Aug. 2016.
"Summary Occupational Guide." Summary Occupational Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug.
2016.
Joyner, Jeffery. "The Dangers and Risks of Being a Biomedical Engineer." Our Everyday
Life. StudioD, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2016