Biomedical Engineer: Encouraging Scope

An industry expert talks about this engineering field..

If a student is interested in biomedical engineering, where should s/he go for information?
There are recognised engineering institutes in the country where biomedical engineering is offered as a specialisation. 

What do biomechanical engineers do?
Biomedical engineers are essential for maintenance, troubleshooting and servicing of sophisticated medical, diagnostic, analytical /bioanalytical equipment and devices.

Some of the analytical equipment is used in the research and development centres of pharma companies, and for quality control analysis in process industries like (steel, minerals and metallurgy, oil refineries, etc).

Does a biomechanical engineer have to go out in the field and assess how well the products perform?
Yes, they need to make field visits and inspection to assess the performance of the systems at customer locations, which are usually under maintenance / service contract.
 
How has your work profile changed over time?
You may start your career as a service engineer and, over time, you may go on to head the service department, and then move on to become a business unit head in the organisation.

What kind of people does a biomechanical engineer come in contact with in course of work?
That depends on the industry. It varies from a lab technician to a physician, from a fellow biomedical engineer in a hospital to an R&D manager in a pharma company.

What is the future for biomedical engineers?
Today, the healthcare industry in India is in the growth phase and it is expected to touch about $40 billion by 2012. So, the potential opportunities for a biomechanical engineer in this sector are immense and very encouraging.