Biomedical Engineering at Glasgow University
Can anyone who is doing/has done this course tell me if it's any good?
I've heard that it has the reputation as a 'dropout course'? Is this the case?
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
I've heard that it has the reputation as a 'dropout course'? Is this the case?
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Any help?
I haven't done the course but I did consider it and the feedback I got was that at the moment the career prospects are quite limited as the sector is still developing and growing. So, I opted for chemical engineering which has a lot more job opportunities with the intention of doing a postgrad in biomedical engineering or getting into that sector. Hope this helps 
I am going into the third-year of this course.
I have no idea what is meant by the term 'droup-out course'. If you mean we lose a lot of people each year, that's not true. 2 people have left my year and though we're not the biggest course, two people leaving ain't really bad. Or if you mean 'droup-out course' as in, it's really easy and even droup-outs could do it, I disagree. I can say that some of the students first choice was medicine, but aside from that I don't think there's anything especially different about our course.
To be honest, i'm a bit miffed by the question. I hope i've answered it properly... If not, I can try again.
As for the course not having job oppurtunities, that's the first time i've heard it. Considering how many fields of research or development a BME can work in, i'd be surprised if one had trouble finding a job. It's not all building cyborgs, ya'know? Imaging techniques, artificial hearts, lab-on-a-chip, diabetic equipment, stents, are a few sectors that spring to mind. Not only that, but we're (to the best of my knowledge) the only university that offers this course in Scotland. It's not like we're churning out BME's faster than the industry can handle.
I'm not really sure if you want any info on the course itself, or if you were just worried about the droup-out issue, but should you have any questions - ask away.
Sorry if i've appeared as a bit standoffish. We're just a little upset/concerned that this is the view people have of us. If you could tell me where you got these comments on the course, I'd be grateful.
Cheers.
I have no idea what is meant by the term 'droup-out course'. If you mean we lose a lot of people each year, that's not true. 2 people have left my year and though we're not the biggest course, two people leaving ain't really bad. Or if you mean 'droup-out course' as in, it's really easy and even droup-outs could do it, I disagree. I can say that some of the students first choice was medicine, but aside from that I don't think there's anything especially different about our course.
To be honest, i'm a bit miffed by the question. I hope i've answered it properly... If not, I can try again.
As for the course not having job oppurtunities, that's the first time i've heard it. Considering how many fields of research or development a BME can work in, i'd be surprised if one had trouble finding a job. It's not all building cyborgs, ya'know? Imaging techniques, artificial hearts, lab-on-a-chip, diabetic equipment, stents, are a few sectors that spring to mind. Not only that, but we're (to the best of my knowledge) the only university that offers this course in Scotland. It's not like we're churning out BME's faster than the industry can handle.
I'm not really sure if you want any info on the course itself, or if you were just worried about the droup-out issue, but should you have any questions - ask away.
Sorry if i've appeared as a bit standoffish. We're just a little upset/concerned that this is the view people have of us. If you could tell me where you got these comments on the course, I'd be grateful.
Cheers.
Thanks for your answer.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to apply for this course after summer once I get my exam results.
I have seen the
I'm pretty sure I'm going to apply for this course after summer once I get my exam results.
I have seen the
... term drop out course on a couple of forums and a few of my teachers have actually implied the same. With the term I mean that people who don't quite get into medicine try for this course but if that's not the case then that's brilliant.
As for the career prospects, again some of my teachers have told me there is limited prospect and also my parents were slightly worried about it as well. I think it is because in the undergraduate prospectus the career prospects column is a bit vague and doesn't really give any examples of jobs that graduates go into, but I presume this is because it's just a new course and there aren't any graduates yet!
Again thanks for your reply, it's good to hear from someone actually doing the course!
Just a quick question, is the course practical at all or not? I have no preference but I am just wandering.
As for the career prospects, again some of my teachers have told me there is limited prospect and also my parents were slightly worried about it as well. I think it is because in the undergraduate prospectus the career prospects column is a bit vague and doesn't really give any examples of jobs that graduates go into, but I presume this is because it's just a new course and there aren't any graduates yet!
Again thanks for your reply, it's good to hear from someone actually doing the course!
Just a quick question, is the course practical at all or not? I have no preference but I am just wandering.
Hi
I'm also studying this course at glasgow university, going into my third year of study on the the BEng degree. While most universities allow postgraduates to study Biomedical Engineering (BME) as a Masters degree, there are relatively few institutions that deliver an undergraduate degree program for biomedical engineering. while the course here at glasgow might be new, the academic staff and the level of help and support is excellent, maybe even moreso due to the fact it's a new degree program. the difference between medical engineering and Biomedical engineering is that we study biology courses as a compliment to our engineering courses. meaning not all our courses are all ran by the engineering college, which must be a nightmare to organise.
A number of the students im studying with did apply to medicine but unfortunately didnt manage to attain a place. does this mean that our course should be considered as a "drop out course"? i think not. medicine is more closely related to physiotherapy than to Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering is primarily about finding technological solutions to medical related problems. while this degree program looks better from an institutional point of view if you are planning to undertake postgraduate studies in medicine over other engineering principles because we have already covered alot of the content in subjects like Anatomy and Physiology. while some people did apply to study Biomedical Engineering because they were unable to do medicine, the majority have applied and study BME at Glasgow because they think it a viable career choice with great prospects. Engineering degrees from any institution is never "a walk in the park", engineers have arguably more contact hours, hours actually spent in lectures, than other subjects on campus. This course follows the same basic subjects and principles of all engineering sugbjects. we studys maths, Applied mechanics, Design, Materials, Electrical Circuits and analogue electronics. Where Biomedical Engineering differs from other engineering degree programs like civil, Electronic, mechanical or Aeronautical engineering is that we also study Anatomy, Physiology, Immunology, Neuroscience etc. i personally hate builds, i find planes boring and cars even more so. but studying subjects where we discuss heart implants, replacement hip joints, the problems with getting paraplegic patients to exercise or even walk again is exciting and personally rewarding.
When it comes to jobs, im a realist. there are thousands of engineering students graduating every year, and the number of jobs:graduates is heavily one sided, negatively to the graduates. But just as not all students studying philosophy become philosophers, and all politics students become MPs not all engineering students go into engineering.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/engineering/8729050/Engineering-graduates-choosing-to-work-in-other-sectors.html#, this articles looks at some engineering students in different fields and in a survey in 2009 showed that 46% of Engineering graduates were in jobs related to other degrees http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14823042. This does not mean that Engineering degrees are not valued, not at all. engineering degrees give graduated a wide range of problem solving, analytical and communication skills. most engineers go into management positions after university, this does not mean they may never pick up a slide rule again, or calculate underdamping in small circuits. i for one don't plan to get a job as a biomedical engineer, i plan to go into medical device sales. but my degree gives me a broad knowledgebase the communication skills, and if need be technical insight.
the degree prospects for Biomedical Engineering might be a bit vague because of the scale of the industry is massive. BMEstudent mentioned a few current research areas and the difference with Biomedical engineering is that we can work in offices, labs or research centres. some of our current students are doing reseach posts in california and israel over the summer in labs, which is more science than engineer, but this allows you to cater your career to what you want to work as. the industry is "up and coming" in the UK, but this doesn't mean there is a shortage of jobs. the government has allocated billions of pounds into research and development in healthcare http://mediacentre.dh.gov.uk/2011/08/18/record-800-million-for-groundbreaking-research-to-benefit-patients/ because the health industry is globally one of the biggest grossing industries and the UK needs to step up its game if were to compete and compete we will, which is only good news for
Biomedical Engineers.
I hope this has been helpful
Cheers
I'm also studying this course at glasgow university, going into my third year of study on the the BEng degree. While most universities allow postgraduates to study Biomedical Engineering (BME) as a Masters degree, there are relatively few institutions that deliver an undergraduate degree program for biomedical engineering. while the course here at glasgow might be new, the academic staff and the level of help and support is excellent, maybe even moreso due to the fact it's a new degree program. the difference between medical engineering and Biomedical engineering is that we study biology courses as a compliment to our engineering courses. meaning not all our courses are all ran by the engineering college, which must be a nightmare to organise.
A number of the students im studying with did apply to medicine but unfortunately didnt manage to attain a place. does this mean that our course should be considered as a "drop out course"? i think not. medicine is more closely related to physiotherapy than to Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering is primarily about finding technological solutions to medical related problems. while this degree program looks better from an institutional point of view if you are planning to undertake postgraduate studies in medicine over other engineering principles because we have already covered alot of the content in subjects like Anatomy and Physiology. while some people did apply to study Biomedical Engineering because they were unable to do medicine, the majority have applied and study BME at Glasgow because they think it a viable career choice with great prospects. Engineering degrees from any institution is never "a walk in the park", engineers have arguably more contact hours, hours actually spent in lectures, than other subjects on campus. This course follows the same basic subjects and principles of all engineering sugbjects. we studys maths, Applied mechanics, Design, Materials, Electrical Circuits and analogue electronics. Where Biomedical Engineering differs from other engineering degree programs like civil, Electronic, mechanical or Aeronautical engineering is that we also study Anatomy, Physiology, Immunology, Neuroscience etc. i personally hate builds, i find planes boring and cars even more so. but studying subjects where we discuss heart implants, replacement hip joints, the problems with getting paraplegic patients to exercise or even walk again is exciting and personally rewarding.
When it comes to jobs, im a realist. there are thousands of engineering students graduating every year, and the number of jobs:graduates is heavily one sided, negatively to the graduates. But just as not all students studying philosophy become philosophers, and all politics students become MPs not all engineering students go into engineering.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/engineering/8729050/Engineering-graduates-choosing-to-work-in-other-sectors.html#, this articles looks at some engineering students in different fields and in a survey in 2009 showed that 46% of Engineering graduates were in jobs related to other degrees http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14823042. This does not mean that Engineering degrees are not valued, not at all. engineering degrees give graduated a wide range of problem solving, analytical and communication skills. most engineers go into management positions after university, this does not mean they may never pick up a slide rule again, or calculate underdamping in small circuits. i for one don't plan to get a job as a biomedical engineer, i plan to go into medical device sales. but my degree gives me a broad knowledgebase the communication skills, and if need be technical insight.
the degree prospects for Biomedical Engineering might be a bit vague because of the scale of the industry is massive. BMEstudent mentioned a few current research areas and the difference with Biomedical engineering is that we can work in offices, labs or research centres. some of our current students are doing reseach posts in california and israel over the summer in labs, which is more science than engineer, but this allows you to cater your career to what you want to work as. the industry is "up and coming" in the UK, but this doesn't mean there is a shortage of jobs. the government has allocated billions of pounds into research and development in healthcare http://mediacentre.dh.gov.uk/2011/08/18/record-800-million-for-groundbreaking-research-to-benefit-patients/ because the health industry is globally one of the biggest grossing industries and the UK needs to step up its game if were to compete and compete we will, which is only good news for
Biomedical Engineers.
I hope this has been helpful
Cheers
Ahhh I see. There a couple of folk who had originally wanted to do medicine, but they're the minority.
If your folks are slightly concerned i'd suggest you get them to send an e-mail to Liz Tanner or talk to her at an open day. She's a lovely lady and can address any of the worries you or your parents have about the course.
In the first couple of years.... not overly so. There's a fair handful of electronic labs, a couple of mechanic labs and a few occasions where you get to prod at body parts in the antomy museum. In the second year you dis-assemble and then re-assemble an engine and build a hinge. Oh, and you learn how to use a couple of software programs. I think you'll get to use 3D design software in the first year and possibly do technical drawings (by hand). So yeah, there's a fair bit of practical, i reckon.
It's no bother at all I'm glad to have helped. And hope to see you in the not-so-distant-future.
Cheers.
If your folks are slightly concerned i'd suggest you get them to send an e-mail to Liz Tanner or talk to her at an open day. She's a lovely lady and can address any of the worries you or your parents have about the course.
In the first couple of years.... not overly so. There's a fair handful of electronic labs, a couple of mechanic labs and a few occasions where you get to prod at body parts in the antomy museum. In the second year you dis-assemble and then re-assemble an engine and build a hinge. Oh, and you learn how to use a couple of software programs. I think you'll get to use 3D design software in the first year and possibly do technical drawings (by hand). So yeah, there's a fair bit of practical, i reckon.
It's no bother at all
I'm glad to have helped. And hope to see you in the not-so-distant-future.Cheers.
Original post by BMEstudent
I am going into the third-year of this course.
I have no idea what is meant by the term 'droup-out course'. If you mean we lose a lot of people each year, that's not true. 2 people have left my year and though we're not the biggest course, two people leaving ain't really bad. Or if you mean 'droup-out course' as in, it's really easy and even droup-outs could do it, I disagree. I can say that some of the students first choice was medicine, but aside from that I don't think there's anything especially different about our course.
To be honest, i'm a bit miffed by the question. I hope i've answered it properly... If not, I can try again.
As for the course not having job oppurtunities, that's the first time i've heard it. Considering how many fields of research or development a BME can work in, i'd be surprised if one had trouble finding a job. It's not all building cyborgs, ya'know? Imaging techniques, artificial hearts, lab-on-a-chip, diabetic equipment, stents, are a few sectors that spring to mind. Not only that, but we're (to the best of my knowledge) the only university that offers this course in Scotland. It's not like we're churning out BME's faster than the industry can handle.
I'm not really sure if you want any info on the course itself, or if you were just worried about the droup-out issue, but should you have any questions - ask away.
Sorry if i've appeared as a bit standoffish. We're just a little upset/concerned that this is the view people have of us. If you could tell me where you got these comments on the course, I'd be grateful.
Cheers.
I have no idea what is meant by the term 'droup-out course'. If you mean we lose a lot of people each year, that's not true. 2 people have left my year and though we're not the biggest course, two people leaving ain't really bad. Or if you mean 'droup-out course' as in, it's really easy and even droup-outs could do it, I disagree. I can say that some of the students first choice was medicine, but aside from that I don't think there's anything especially different about our course.
To be honest, i'm a bit miffed by the question. I hope i've answered it properly... If not, I can try again.
As for the course not having job oppurtunities, that's the first time i've heard it. Considering how many fields of research or development a BME can work in, i'd be surprised if one had trouble finding a job. It's not all building cyborgs, ya'know? Imaging techniques, artificial hearts, lab-on-a-chip, diabetic equipment, stents, are a few sectors that spring to mind. Not only that, but we're (to the best of my knowledge) the only university that offers this course in Scotland. It's not like we're churning out BME's faster than the industry can handle.
I'm not really sure if you want any info on the course itself, or if you were just worried about the droup-out issue, but should you have any questions - ask away.
Sorry if i've appeared as a bit standoffish. We're just a little upset/concerned that this is the view people have of us. If you could tell me where you got these comments on the course, I'd be grateful.
Cheers.
Hi!, I am currently studying Medical sciences at University of Edinburgh but i want to transfer to Biomedical engineering in Glasgow. But I am not sure if it will be better. I would like to ask you about your opinion about the Biomedical engineering, if you find it difficult or nor and how is the student life in Glasgow comparing with the one in Edinburgh and if you think there are many job opportunities after the Biomedical engineering degree. Thid would really help me!!.
Thank you very much!
Hey guys I'm going to study bioengineering at Glasgow university next year and I'd like to know what are the exams of the course. I could not find them on the university website. Thanks in advance..
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