Hello once again,
When one is in the process of choosing a specialisation, or even a degree, consideration of the future is just as important as what is happening right now. For Biomedical Engineering, as I have emphasised throughout this blog series, this future is broad, a little vague, but most of all – exciting.
The University of Auckland website (Have a look here if you haven’t already) gives us a tad of insight, describing how as a biomedical engineer you will be at the “forefront of life-changing research” into the analysis of biological functions. Further, a specialisation in BME in Auckland gives us students direct access to the amazing experts at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI). It is in this building, at 70 Symonds St, that we bioengineers spend most of our time getting projects done, working on assignments and completing computer labs. So if doing the most progressive and amazing degree wasn’t appealing enough already – a whole building to yourself will hopefully push you closer towards choosing Biomedical Engineering.
Apart from giving you space to learn, the ABI is also home to a number of student-founded commercial start-ups, and a team of breakthrough researchers.
Formus Labs is one such company that spoke to us at the start of the year, who use an AI-cloud platform to provide orthopaedic intelligence to implant manufacturers and clinicians. Here, former BME students work together with current lecturers and surgeons in formulating their innovative and increasingly successful interface. More examples of these companies can be found here.
If research is something that intrigues you, the ABI also works with a number of expert groups on dozens of different projects. These can range from postgraduate study to other ground-breaking themes such as Biomimetics, Surgical Engineering and Computational Physiology. An extended list can be found here. Nearly every day I receive emails from these guys, inviting us to seminars and presentations on their work and studies. If you have the time, then you can definitely learn a lot about where the future is heading.
The take-home message behind all these URL’s and sale-pitches is that a degree in Biomedical Engineering at the UoA is not one to leave you bare at the end of it all. Of course there are the generic routes of finding a career with a larger company, such as Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, however, if this is not for you then there is a whole world of opportunity waiting. The established and famed ABI is one other pathway for your future, but alongside your 800 engineering hours, you can be sure that you will have experience and options in your career choices. And these choices are many – the list of fields that BME covers is ever-widening, and if you’re like me you will find that your initial preferences may change very quickly as you get a taste for them all. If medical devices or modelling is not your thing, then maybe gene editing or medical imaging will be. Whatever the case, there is something to discover and look forward to as a Biomedical Engineer at the University of Auckland.