Hey everyone! Sadly, this is my last post as a PII BME blogger:( It’s been an awesome journey sharing my experiences with you all this semester. As we wrap up, I thought it would be cool to bring in some stories and insights from my amazing fellow BME students. So I sat down and interviewed them to get their thoughts and tips for you all. I know as a PI, the biggest question on your mind is probably, ‘What’s life gonna be like as a P2 BME student?’ So, let’s dive in and find out together!
Thank you everyone for joining me today. To start off, can you introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about your backgrounds?
Jerry: Hi, I’m Jerry. I’m a Part II Biomedical Engineering student, soon to be a Part III.
One moment I’m stressing about BME 233 in the first semester, and the next moment it’s BME 241 in the second semester 😭. I’m an international student from Taiwan.
I like VR, I like talking about VR, and I like talking about VR education.
Ivy: Well, my name is Ivy and I’m a Part II BME student. I came from China to study here at the University of Auckland.
Dee: My name is Dhabitah, but people call me Dee for short. I’m originally from Malaysia. I’ve dreamt of studying abroad since high school 🤭. After finishing my Diploma in the same major, I came to UoA to live my dream.
Amisha: My name is Amisha and I’m a Part II-ish student in the BME department. I came to the university right out of high school. I did some part-time semesters, so my classes are a mix of different parts.
Kina: Hi, I’m Kina, a second-year Biomedical Engineering student at UoA. I’m an international student from Thailand. So far, I’ve studied three fields—chemistry and biomedical engineering at UoA, and food science for a semester in Thailand.
Daniel: Hi, I’m Daniel, a born and raised South Aucklander and a current Part II BME student.
As a Part 1 student choosing your specialisation, what sparked your interest in BME?
Ivy: I chose BME because engineering sounded interesting, and among all the specialisations, BME looked the most intriguing.
Amisha: As a Part I student choosing my specialisation, I didn’t want to miss out on anything. I wanted to learn how to code, build machines, understand electronics, and mathematically model situations. BME was the only specialisation that covered all of these areas.
Daniel: I was drawn to BME because of my own experiences with healthcare, and also because of all the cool ideas and technology being worked on, like implantable devices and gene editing.
I can see that you have a great passion for VR, Jerry. Is there a reason why you specifically chose BME to pursue this passion?
Jerry: I guess it’s because BME offers a biomechanics course in Part III. Additionally, MEDSCI offers a Neuroscience course after completing MEDSCI 142. These courses can help me pursue my passion, understand, and ultimately develop for VR. (Why not mechatronics then?) Ah, that’s because ENGGEN 121 was a nightmare for me. So, mechanical or mechatronics is automatically a big no-no for me. Additionally, it would be difficult for me to take neuroscience-related courses.
Can you share your story about the journey of coming to UoA to continue your studies and what motivated you to do that?
Dee: Ufff, what motivates me… I had my senior study in Biomedical Engineering at UoA before. The way she told me stories about how great UoA, the lecturers, and friends here somehow contributed to why I am here right now. After finishing my Diploma in Biomedical Electronics Engineering, I got a scholarship to study abroad and chose New Zealand as my first choice. I then spent 2-3 months preparing to come to NZ.
Kina: In high school, I didn’t really have a favorite subject or anything like that. I just learned what I needed to, so it was kinda hard to pick the right degree for uni. But I knew I did better in math and bio. So, when it came to choosing, I went with food science because I love to eat and thought it would be fun too. I also got to take physics for engineering as an elective, and I ended up liking it the most.
I talked with my parents about it for a while, and they suggested it might be better to study abroad. That’s how I ended up at UoA. I applied to Engineering Part I, but I didn’t get accepted because I hadn’t done physics in high school and didn’t have any academic record for it. So, I had to take science papers in my first year before transferring to engineering. It’s been quite a journey!
And was it the right choice to make? What do you love most about BME?
Ivy: It’s quite difficult to judge right now 😂. I’m still figuring out which part I love the most. I usually don’t want to regret my decisions, so I think spending more time on it will help me answer this question. Ask me again next year.
Dee: Friends. I love my BME friends. We support each other.
Amisha: I love the people the most. We’re a pretty tight-knit group because there aren’t many of us, and we’re all working towards the same goal.
Kina: Definitely, even though engineering was tough for me. I had to put a lot of time and effort into every course. There were so many times I thought I wouldn’t make it. It’s really hard, but I’ve learned that everything is possible if you give it time.
Especially with BME, it’s been almost a year since I started this specialisation, and I really enjoy most of the classes. Not because they’re easier than others, but because I get to learn interesting stuff. The labs for BIOMENG 261 and MEDSCI 142 are great examples. They’re definitely hard and challenging, but having hands-on experience really helps me remember the content better.
Daniel: I love the vibes of the cohort. We get along really well. I also like how the wide variety of classes keeps what I’m doing feel fresh, so I don’t feel stuck spending too much time on the same type of content.
Well Kina, it seems like your exceptional efforts paid off. You were first in ENGGEN 121 last year and you have an average grade of A-A+. Do you have any tips for managing good grades throughout the year?
Kina: I have some study tips that divide courses into two types: maths-based (like physics or maths) and theory-based (like MEDSCI or BIOSCI).
For maths-based courses, start doing past papers as soon as possible. I make sure to complete every available past paper, mark the questions I get wrong, and redo them until I get them right.
For theory-based courses, I learn the topic, write a summary, and practice by explaining it aloud as if I’m teaching someone. You don’t need an audience, just speak out loud and see if it makes sense.
Having a study buddy helps keep me motivated. It’s also important not to ignore questions; try to find answers as soon as you can.
I’m just a regular student with productive days and procrastination days, but I’m working toward getting better!
Ivy, you do badminton as a hobby. How do you balance your studies with your other interests and hobbies?
Ivy: (I used to have a mandatory 3-hour evening study session back in high school in China. 😂) A good thing about uni is that we don’t have classes after 6 PM, which allows me to do things outside of studying. And since I don’t have a lot of hobbies, I manage it quite well.
Do you think studying abroad influenced your perspective on BME and your future career?
Ivy: Maybe? I’m not sure yet. I haven’t got a clear vision of my future career yet, but it’s fine. I believe I’ll figure it out when I need to. Studying abroad definitely influences something, even though I don’t realize it often. Especially when I talk to my old friends, we have different opinions on things. But I think that’s just something that changes based on where you spend your time, because of different cultures and different people. A lot of my friends also study abroad in different countries, and we all have different perspectives on various things.
Dee: Yessss! Before, I thought Biomeng only focused on maintenance and sales. I’m surprised that we have a building (ABI) that solely focuses on creating new devices, systems, etc., to make the healthcare sector much better. This(https://www.instagram.com/p/DBPxKgzMACr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) was kind of an eye-opener, as it showed me that BME is not only for humans.
Do you have a favourite moment or project from your time in BME?
Jerry: Definitely BIOMENG 261. It was a big highlight for me. We got to do some genetic experiments, and I was proud of my little Petri dish colony, even though they didn’t thrive as much as they could. The ethics topic also really challenged me to think differently and consider various perspectives.
Ivy: Every project is a great opportunity for me to get to know my classmates better, which is super great. I find that lovely.
Dee: My favourite moment? Hmm, I would say going to class 🤣🤣. Sometimes it’s fun to just have a little catch-up session with classmates since BME is a small cohort. We support each other.
Amisha: My favourite project was definitely BIOMENG 241. Most of the BME cohort took it, and we all did it together. We were exhausted, and it wasn’t strange to see a bunch of us still in the lab at 8 PM, working things out together, even if we weren’t in the same project team. It was exhausting but so much fun too. Especially soldering—I love it so much. It feels like an achievement to see it all come together and know you helped build it.
Kina: I like the BIOMENG 261 labs. They’re about doing hands-on experiments based on what we learn in lectures. For example, one of the labs was about spectrophotometry, where we learned how light interacts with solutions to measure their concentration. In the lab, we used our knowledge to find the concentration of an unknown sample. It was really fun; it was the first time we applied what we learned in class, and I still remember almost all the details from that lab.
Daniel: My favourite moment was the BIOMENG 241 labs. There were a lot of laughs and chats. Probably should have done more work, but oh well.
In contrast, why should anyone NOT do BME?
Jerry: People who hate biology, medical topics, and coding (shouldn’t choose to study BME). 😤
Dee: If you’re not up for a challenge, I guess you should avoid BME because YOU’RE GONNA DO A TON OF STUFF as a BME major—from bio, physics, to software.
Amisha: Don’t do BME if you’re not interested in medical machinery. This degree puts you in a niche that’s hard to get out of in the industry. It’s possible, but it might take a while.
Kina: I guess I don’t know what to say. It might be because some courses were just hard, so I didn’t enjoy them as much, haha. My boyfriend is doing mechatronics, and whenever I pull out a MEDSCI paper, he looks like he’s seen a ghost. He always says it’s amazing that I can remember things like the respiratory zones, and he wouldn’t even try to read it.
On the other hand, one course that I found super hard, like BIOMENG 241 with all the circuit design stuff, he thinks is okay, maybe just a bit challenging. So, I guess it really depends on the person too!
Daniel: I think when picking a specialisation, it helps to pick something that you’re interested in. The MEDSCI papers are particularly tough, so it helps to have some kind of inner motivation.
Apart from the academic challenges, what challenges did you face as an international student and how did you overcome those?
Ivy: It’s definitely a huge transformation at the beginning of the year (I mean starting from Part I). The pressure from coursework, adjusting to a new life, and dealing with a lot of new things was intense. But I got really lucky. I found some friends to talk to and started doing weekly exercise, which helped me get through it. Now in Year 2, my cohort is full of really nice people. Everything seems to be going OK now.
Dee: At first, I would say the language and accent were challenging. Even though I spent almost my whole life learning English, when I first came here, I stuttered a lot and wasn’t very confident talking to others. But I’m so lucky. During the field trip for Biomeng and Engsci students, I made a lot of friends, and from there, my life as a BME student got better. Finding halal food was a bit of a struggle at first, but now I know a lot of places that serve halal foods.
Kina: I’d say it was quite hard for me to communicate at first. Before I came to New Zealand, I mostly spoke Thai and only used English in class without practicing it much. In the beginning, I tried really hard to communicate with my friends, but over time, I started feeling more comfortable.
Another thing is that I didn’t have much to do here at first, and sometimes I couldn’t even think of places to hang out, or maybe we were just too busy. So, most of the time, I’d just go to uni and then head back to the hall. But now, I’m trying to explore Auckland, and I’ve found that there are a lot of great restaurants here. The food is so good! 👍 😋
Do you have an internship for this summer?
Amisha: I don’t have an internship. In this specialisation, they are limited and very hard to find, but we persevere, and I won’t give up yet.
Daniel: I don’t have an internship for the summer, but I’m hopeful I’ll have a great summer regardless!
So Jerry, how were you able to find an internship before your second year? Is it even possible?
Jerry: The lack of internship opportunities for people going into BME is definitely a big deal. But it’s actually not as bad as people think, especially since all other specialisations will have the same problem if they are trying to find internships in their second year. However, the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI) has good opportunities, and I know a few people who are interning there for the summer. I was also able to find a virtual internship to work at ABI for a semester. Most of my internship opportunities were discovered through extracurricular activities.
As biomedical engineers, we also have knowledge in the medical field, so it’s possible to seek internships there as well.
Would you mind sharing how you landed your internship?
Jerry: Personally, I like future technology and want to change some aspects of current education that I think can be much better. VR seems like the right medium to pursue in those areas. During the second half of my first year, I joined the VR club, and that’s where it all began. Through the VR club, I discovered a lot of opportunities, especially through the Empathic Computing Lab (ECL) located on level 5 of ABI.
I was able to find my first virtual internship opportunity at ECL. Then, after attending the NZ career expo event, I found JIX Interactive and was offered an opportunity to work over the summer. I would say the key reason I was able to find these opportunities was because I have something I’m passionate about and was willing to start a project on. I actively searched for companies that would find my project interesting and aligned with my goals.
What are your future aspirations in the field of BME?
Kina: I’ve always wanted to develop healthcare technology and improve accessibility to medical devices. I really hope that by finishing my BME degree, I’ll gain more insight into it. For now, I still have a lot to learn to make it happen. 😉
Lastly, do you have any advice for Part 1 students regarding exams, spec choice, and for those who want to come to BME next year?
Jerry: 204 is not a joke, trust me. When you apply your team charter for your 241 project, you’ll thank me. 241 will burn you and make you anew. For Medsci, stay on task, use Piazza, and try to find people to study with at the start of the semester. Don’t study by yourself, and don’t get put off by the hard assignments.
Ivy: Believe in yourself and do the best you can. You got it! For spec choosing, all I can say is to choose what you like so you have the faith to stick with it till the end.
Dee: Check the syllabus of the subjects you’re going to take. Either you love it or not, or even some courses where you can learn basic things (like coding in Python, LabVIEW) before the semester begins. Sometimes you need to do some revision from previous subjects to ease your study journey.
Amisha: My advice for Part 1 students is to not let the idea of specs intimidate you. Focus on your GPA first, then deal with the spec stuff when you need to choose. Pick something you’ll enjoy the most. You’re going to get paid either way, but picking a spec purely for the money might make you unhappy if you don’t end up making as much as you want. If you pick something you enjoy, even if you don’t make as much as you’d like, at least you’ll find enjoyment in what you’re doing as your career and skills expand. Eventually, you’ll get a big cheque, so you may as well enjoy what you’re working on in the meantime.
Daniel: My advice would be to not stress if you feel like you haven’t clicked at uni yet. It can take some time to find your people and hit your stride, and that’s okay.
Anything else you wish to add?
Jerry: 241 is not a project for the last three weeks; it is truly a semester-long project.
Daniel: If you do pick BME, take advantage of the Taupo trip to meet your peers. Friends and study buddies make everything so much easier. Have fun!
That’s it from me today. Thank you, everyone, for reading and supporting this blog series! I’ve loved being your P2 BME blogger and sharing my stories with you all. Thanks again for being part of this journey with me. Also a special shoutout to Jerry, Ivy, Dee, Amisha, Kina, and Daniel for sharing their amazing insights. I’m truly blessed to have such a supportive friend group! Good luck to all of you with your exams, spec choices, and everything else. Remember, you’ve got this!
Cheers,
Jena