The field of medicine has had a tremendous change within the last couple of decades. Patients now have easier access to medical care at all times, order medicines from anywhere, and even maintain medical records that are stored on scalable databases so that they can be accessed by a physician from anywhere in the world. Healthcare treatments have improved, and we have better technologies that enable quicker and more accurate disease/illness diagnosis, real-time patient monitoring, and therapeutic treatments.
But makes all of this possible?
Biomedical engineering.
It is a relatively new branch of engineering that combines medical science and engineering principles to bridge the gap between engineering and biological sciences. According to Forbes, biomedical engineering is a “high-paying, low-stress STEM job”. What sets it apart from the other engineering disciplines is its direct impact on the health of human beings. Biomedical engineering received widespread recognition since the development of advanced technologies that could be used for quicker and much more efficient methods for the diagnosis and treatment of various illnesses and diseases.
Biomedical engineering has led to the development of several revolutionary concepts such as artificial organ development, manufacturing robots that can be used in surgeries, design, development, and targeted delivery of pharmaceutical drugs, and developing prosthetic limbs. In order to prepare for a degree in biomedical engineering, one will have to have a strong foundation in fundamental subjects such as biology, mathematics, physics, chemistry and in applied sciences including computer science, and engineering. With a beginner’s average salary hovering just over USD 62,000, it is one of the highest-paying engineering professions in today’s world.
The applications of biomedical engineering have increased significantly in the past few decades, thanks to the development of better digital technologies and related equipment. Some of the most popular and relevant applications of biomedical engineering are listed below.
- Bioinformatics
- Biomechanics
- Biomedical sensors
- Bionics
- Development of medical equipment
- Genetic engineering
- Mobile medical devices
- Telemedicine
- Tissue engineering
- Stem cell research
With the demand for biomedical engineers on the rise, it is important for those who are interested in the field to know about the best places to study biomedical engineering from. Some of these universities/institutions are listed below.
University/InstitutionLocationTop Programs on Biomedical Engineering
| Johns Hopkins University |
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A |
Undergraduate, graduate and PhD programs in Biomedical Engineering |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A |
Undergraduate and Graduate programs in Bioengineering |
| University of Cambridge |
Cambridge, U.K |
Undergraduate in Bioengineering |
| ETH Zurich-Swiss Federal Institute of Technology |
Zurich, Switzerland |
Masters in Biomedical Engineering |
| Georgia Institute of Technology |
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A |
Bachelors, Masters, and PhD programs in Biomedical Engineering |
| Stanford University |
Stanford, California, U.S.A |
Undergraduate, Masters and PhD programs in Bioengineering |
| University of California-Berkeley |
Berkeley, California, U.S.A |
Undergraduate, Graduate and PhD programs in Bioengineering |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A |
Undergraduate and Graduate programs in Biomedical Engineering |
| Duke University |
Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A |
Undergraduate, Masters and PhD in Biomedical Engineering |
| University of California-San Diego |
San Diego, California, U.S.A |
Undergraduate and Masters programs in Bioengineering |
| University of Pennsylvania |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A |
Undergraduate program in Bioengineering and Biomedical Science |
| Cornell University |
Ithaca, New York, U.S.A |
Undergraduate (Bachelor of Science), graduate (Master of Engineering), and PhD programs in Biomedical Engineering |
| Nanyang Technological University |
Singapore, Singapore |
Undergraduate programs in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering |
| University of Oxford |
Oxford, United Kingdom |
Undergraduate programs in Engineering Science with specialization options |
| Imperial College London |
London, U.K |
Undergraduate programs
MSc Biomedical Engineering |
Biomedical engineering is set to change the way we perceive healthcare in the future. With more advancements in the field, we can expect easier and equivalent access to quality healthcare, and the development of pioneering technology in the field of medicine. It is poised to change the way we diagnose and treat various illnesses and diseases. We might also see a future where replacing an organ in a human body could be as simple as replacing a battery on an electronic device.
