Path to Success: Becoming a Biomedical Engineer
Summary:
Biomedical engineers are at the forefront of modern healthcare. For example, they are responsible for joint replacements, robotic surgeries, and tissue implants. You can begin your journey to a future in the field with pre-college online courses from top colleges and universities that partner with Prelum, Powered by Kaplan.
Key Points:
- Biomedical engineering ranks among the top-paying college degrees.
- Biomedical engineers design artificial body parts and internal organs.
- These professionals share habits that ensure success.
- Prelum, Powered by Kaplan, partners with top universities to provide pre-college online courses to kick-start your future.
- Use our step-by-step guide to improve your chances of majoring in the field.
Do you envision a future where you can couple your interest in medicine with your love of computers, devices, computer systems, and software? Then you may be a good candidate for a career in biomedical engineering. A degree in biomedical engineering can lead to game-changing diagnostic and treatment opportunities, such as medical stem cell technology, engineered tissue implants, robotic-guided surgeries, artificial organs, and more.
In this article, you’ll discover the history of biomedical engineering, a snapshot of what careers in the field might look like, traits those in the field share, and steps you can take to get a head start in biomedical engineering while in high school.
The history of biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering started during World War II with the invention of kidney dialysis. The first successful valve replacement occurred in 1952, and the 1960s welcomed the birth of bioengineering and biotech departments in top universities across the U.S.
What does the practice of biomedical engineering look like?
Today, biomedical engineering careers rank among the top-paying college degrees. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, bioengineers and biomedical engineers work at the intersection of engineering and the sciences to design equipment, devices, computer systems, and software to improve human health. They are responsible for modern knee and hip replacements and design rehabilitative exercise equipment. Duties can include:
- Creating artificial body parts, internal organs, and machines for diagnosing medical conditions.
- Providing technical support for biomedical equipment.
- Working with manufacturers on the safety and effectiveness of their equipment.
- Training medical staff on the proper use of biomedical equipment.
- Collaborating with scientists to study how engineering principles apply to biological systems.
- Creating statistical models or simulations using statistical or modeling software.
- Writing technical reports and research papers.
- Sharing findings with a diverse audience, such as scientists, clinicians, managers, other engineers, and the public.
- Conducting follow-up experiments as needed.
If this field intrigues you, and you think you have what it takes to succeed, ask yourself: how do you know you’re a good candidate for biomedical engineering?
The traits biomedical engineers share
According to a key source that profiled successful biomedical engineers, here are the traits potential employers look for in these practitioners:
- They use checklists: Consistency is vital in scientific fields like biomedical engineering. Checklists help you catch missed steps and perform a task the same way every time, which can significantly impact work outcomes.
- They document their work: This kind of detailed work is essential if you plan to publish findings in peer-reviewed journals. You need to verify that your findings are repeatable. For instance, this is key if your project leads to filing a patent.
- They pursue lifelong learning: The field is evolving so rapidly that it’s essential for biomedical engineers to keep up with new developments by taking courses online, attending seminars, attending industry events, and mastering new software programs.
- They network: Networking is essential in every field. It is beneficial in biomedical engineering because it allows for interdisciplinary collaborations and can lead to career advancement.
- They remain curious: Biomedical engineers constantly seek to understand how things work; it’s a profession of lifelong learning.
If it sounds like a fit for your talents and interests, it makes sense not to wait until college to get a leg up in the field of biomedical engineering. In fact, you can and should start while you are still in high school. Remember, biomedical engineering originates with STEM, so you’ll want to explore the field before picking a major.
Prelum, Powered by Kaplan, partners with some of the leading colleges and universities. Many of these offer online pre-college STEM courses, including some that focus on biomedical engineering. When considering how to become a biomedical engineer, we recommend looking at the Case Western Reserve Pre-College Program. Their course, Biomedical Engineering: An Introduction to Medicine’s Futureto Medicine’s Future, is designed for motivated high school students like you.
The course takes a deep dive into how biomedical engineering helps to solve medical conditions. You’ll learn its range of related fields, discover the meaning of biocompatibility, and explore the growing impacts of artificial intelligence. This course could lead you to a college major or career path in either medicine or biomedical engineering.
With a course like this under your belt, you’ll be able to:
- Define the fundamentals of biomedical engineering.
- Learn how biomedical engineering merges different engineering and scientific fields to solve medical conditions.
- Be able to explain the areas that define biomedical engineering, such as anatomy, physiology, biomaterials, instrumentation, and imaging.
- Apply the engineering design process, from assessing user needs to conducting verification and validation testing.
- Understand how the immune system reacts to different materials.
Other pre-college STEM programs are offered by Prelum partner schools, such as Georgetown University’s STEM program which includes courses in anatomy and physiology, biology, and cybersecurity. You’ll want to check out Rice University’s STEM courses in aerospace, engineering, genome engineering, medicine, and physiology. And make sure to peruse Wake Forest University’s bioscience online course, as well as other contenders that include:
- Northwestern University’s online course in engineering
- University of Notre Dame’s medical research course
- Dartmouth College’s online courses in biology and regenerative medicine
In addition to the above, you’ll find many courses that will help prepare you for a future in biomedical engineering and related fields. Still wondering what you must do to prepare yourself to choose a major? Here are the steps you’ll need to take while in high school.
A high school student’s path to the future
- Choose a degree path: BS/MD or pre-med or engineering
- Meet with your guidance counselor early and often
- Participate in extracurriculars. Play a sport or join an engineering club
- Take AP science classes like biology, chemistry, and physics
- Take AP math classes like Algebra and Calculus
- Attend STEM summer camps
- Take pre-college online courses
- Discover bioengineering summer camps
- Participate in science research programs
- Volunteer for an engineering project
- Participate in job shadowing
- Volunteer for community service
Make your high school years a launch pad for a future in biomedical engineering. Starting today!
This was last reviewed by Ashley Simmons on 07/11/2025.
Recommended Articles
