Workshops hosted at recent Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) meetings have identified the leap from university to a career in industry to be a nation-wide challenge for Biomedical Engineering (BME) undergraduate programs and their alumni. While some strides are being made to better utilize BME industries feedback in formation of undergraduate and masters level BME program curricula, a more holistic understanding of the factors influencing the gap between university and industry is desired. Here, we present a case study at our university that evaluates and compares the industry potential of engineering students progressing through and graduating from emerging (i.e. BME, Materials Science and Engineering) and traditional (i.e. Mechanical and Electrical Engineering) disciplines. Using data collected by our university’s Engineering Career Services, we will present comparisons of co-op, internship, and full-time industry employment between BME and other emerging and traditional engineering disciplines. Through this case study, and further discussion, we aim to identify potential areas of opportunity for shrinking and/or bridging the gap for BMEs seeking to enter the industry workforce.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6562-0284
The Ohio State University, Department of Biomedical Engineering
[biography]
Tanya M. Nocera, PhD, is a Professor of Practice and Director of an accelerated BS-MS program in Medical Product Development in Biomedical Engineering at The Ohio State University. Her scholarship includes the study of career attainment processes of undergraduate engineers, and the development and commercialization of new medical technologies.
Alexis Ortiz-Rosario is an associate professor of practice in the department of biomedical engineering at The Ohio State University. He holds a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from The Ohio State University.
Amena Shermadou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at The Ohio State University. Her research agenda focuses on exploring hidden curriculum through the lens of Muslim experiences in engineering. Prior to her current role at Ohio State, she was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue. Amena earned her PhD in Engineering Education at The Ohio State University and received her B.S. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Wright State University.
http://orcid.org/https://0000-0003-2851-5842
The Ohio State University
[biography]
Dr. David A. Delaine is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University Department of Engineering Education. Within this newly formed department he strives to creatively impact engineering education and society through investigating community-based le
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