Every individual asks certain questions to oneself before choosing a career. The basic rule set that we are taught in our school days to ask "HOW", "WHAT", "WHY", and "WHO" before we get on to something new. Even I've done the same. Read on to know how I ended up taking Biomedical Engineering to be my future.

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How I took Biomedical Engineering?

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After completing my senior school certificate examination (class 12th), I was confused on the career path that I should take. For two years I was preparing for medical entrance but was unable to crack the required score. I had written an engineering entrance, provided by Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) and unexpectedly my result was good enough for me to be enrolled into the prestigious Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT).

During my counselling session at MIT, I came across Biomedical Engineering. Honestly, I always wanted to become a doctor but fate had written something else for me. Deep inside, I knew that I never had the patience to look upon a patient but had the skill and interest towards engineering. Luckily for me, MIT’s syllabus was designed in a unique way of teaching engineering subjects (mechanical, electrical electronics and computer science) as well as medical subjects with practical experience in association with Kasturba Medical College (KMC).​

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What is Biomedical Engineering?

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When someone comes across the term “Biomedical Engineering”, the first thing that comes to mind is a technician who works in hospital looking after the equipment. Some people also mistake a biomedical engineer to be a medical representative for a medical device manufacturing industry. But biomedical engineering is not only limited to manufacture equipment and devices, it also includes generating solutions and alternative methods for the doctors to conduct diagnosis and perform surgeries, designing new instruments or improvising the existing ones for diagnosis and conduct operations. For this, one has to have medical knowledge or at least understand the clinical conditions before applying an engineered solution.

 

Why Biomedical Engineering?

 

To solve clinical problems by developing medical systems, instruments and devices a biomedical engineer has to collaborate with doctors and researchers. Biomedical engineering is becoming one of the most privileged industry in India with the budding health consciousness for both diagnostic and therapeutic. Apart from this, biomedical engineering also finds its application in alleviation, rehabilitation and compensation for disabilities and injuries. A biomedical engineer should have analytical and careful measurement skill, a good eye for compact and economical design, detailed attention and the ability to convert the clinical language to engineering terms.

 

Biomedical Engineer

 

Most of the biomedical engineers turn out to be manufacturing engineers where they design and develop surgical instruments, prostheses, imaging devices, and others. Few of them focus on designing and developing computer software for a wide range of medical application. To meet the standards and specifications, medical products needs to be examined by a quality engineer. Researchers spend most of the time collaborating and getting associated with doctors and surgeons to find solutions to medical problems.

If observed carefully here, majority of work of the biomedical engineer is product oriented. Researchers would agree upon being more patient oriented while finding an appropriate solution. My perception is varied here. I’m more focused on assisting the doctors and surgeons to conduct their diagnosis and surgeries in a more simplified way. My understanding is that the surgeon should not adjust with the machines to perform a clinical procedure, but the product should be built in such a way that the surgeon can provide a comfortable solution to the patient.

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Innovation towards healthcare technology is my motto as a Biomedical Engineer!