Preparation for Sophomore Year in BME

1. Preparation for Sophomore Year in BME Prof. Kristen Billiar February 14, 2006

2. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

3. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

4. 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/ Worcester Polytechnic Institute

5. http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/ http://users.wpi.edu/~kbilliar/service_adviseersrc.html Worcester Polytechnic Institute

6. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

7. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

8. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

9. 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) Worcester Polytechnic Institute

10. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

11. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

12. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

13. 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. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

14. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

15. 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/ Worcester Polytechnic Institute

16. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

17. When do I sign up for the BS/MS program? • Too early to worry about, but if interested, go to site: http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/bsms.html • Submit “Course Designation Form” spring of Junior year • Get signatures of instructors of 4000-level courses you’d like to double count – before you take the course • Completely SEPARATE from admission to the graduate program • Formal (full) application fall of senior year • Same as normal process except no GRE and fees waived • Advice - apply to other schools and take GRE anyway • 3.2 GPA overall and 3.5 GPA in major Worcester Polytechnic Institute

18. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

19. Why should I join the BMES chapter? Should I join BMES national? • Yes, and GET INVOLVED! It’s there for you! • Info on website under “undergraduate programs” • http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/ - follow link • National BMES is a resource for you – access to the profession • Skills builder, Resume builder Worcester Polytechnic Institute

20. 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute