Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Engineering

1. Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Engineering Paul Benkeser Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies Sally GerrishDirector, Student, Alumni and Industrial Relations Kim PaigeFreshman Academic Advisor Paul FincannonUndergraduate Academic Advisor

2. The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering • Organization • department within the School of Medicine at Emory University • school within the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech • Degree programs • B.S. (GT) • Ph.D. (GT/EU)

3. The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering • Fall 2009 enrollment • 1000 undergraduate students • 180 graduate students • Faculty • 33 primary faculty • 8 joint faculty

4. What is a biomedical engineer? Biomedical engineers contribute to the research, development and application of innovative approaches, materials, biologics and devices for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease

5. What jobs are there for B.S. BME grads? • Field engineers • technical support for medical professionals • Product development • designing, developing and testing new materials, devices and equipment • Process development • devising new processes, or refining existing ones, to optimize the manufacturing process • Consulting • provide clients with technology and healthcare expertise they lack to help them make decisions • Clinical and regulatory affairs • performance and safety testing of new products • Technical sales • determine how products could be designed or modified to meet customers’ needs and advise customers on how best to use the products

6. Where do Georgia Tech B.S. BME grads go? Through May 2009 • 33% industry/government • 29% graduate school • 15% MS • 14% PhD • 19% professional school • 16% medical • 3% dental/law • 3% other • 16% unaccounted

7. Where do Georgia Tech B.S. BMEs work?

8. Biomedical engineeringcareer resources Links to a number of biomedical engineering career-oriented resources may be found at http://www.acad.bme.gatech.edu/career

9. SocialsMingle with fellow GT Students (FREE FOOD!) Industry Speakers- What do BMEDs do in the real world?- Professional networking Leadership ExperienceEmployers and Grad Schools love experienced leaders! GA Tech BiomedicalEngineering Society

10. Academic Advisement

11. Overview of BME Curriculum 132 credit hours to earn a B.S. BMED degree • 91 hours are Engineering and Science courses, including 38 BMED hours • 28 hours are General Education courses, including social science and humanity courses, a wellness class and a technical communications class • 13 hours are BMED Technical Electives (9 hours) and four hours of free electives Pre-health students take an additional 9 credit hours of chemistry • Four hours can be used as free electives (137 total for the B.S. BMED) • All other courses for pre-health fields are already built into the curriculum: 1 year of biology, 1 year of physics, 1 year of calculus

12. Possible Engineering and Science Courses Mandatory BMED 1000 – Introduction to Biomedical Engineering Strongly Recommended CHEM 1310 – General Chemistry (with lab) MATH 1501 – Calculus I or MATH 1502 – Calculus II [Prerequisite: MATH 1501] Others BIOL 1510 – Biological Principles (with lab) Sections N, T, and P CS 1371 – Computing for Engineers PHYS 2211 – Intro to Physics I (with lab) [Prerequisite w/concurrency: MATH 1502] MSE 2001 – Prin & Appl Engineering Materials [Prerequisite : CHEM 1310]

13. Possible Humanities Courses Strongly Recommended ENGL 1101 – English Composition I or ENGL 1102 – English Composition II [Prerequisite : ENGL 1101] Others Foreign language (strongly recommended for International Plan students) Ethics: LCC 3318, PST 3105, PST 3109, PST 3127, PST 4176 Music

14. Possible Social Science Courses ECON 2100/2105/2106 or ECON 2101 The Global Economy (for students in the International Plan) Constitution and History Requirement: HIST 2111, HIST 2112, POL 1101, PUBP 3000, or INTA 1200 Ethics: HTS 2084, HTS 3032, INTA 2030, or PUBP 3600

15. Other Possible Courses HPS 1040 – Health LCC 3401 – Technical Communication Practices GT 1000 – GT Freshman Seminar

16. Research Option Research Option offers the opportunity for a substantial, in-depth research experience which is noted on the student’s transcript.  Requirements: • Complete at least 9 credit hours of undergraduate research • Should span at least two, preferably three terms • Research may be for either pay or credit • At least 6 of the 9 required hours should be on the same topic • Complete a research proposal outlining their research topic and project for the thesis • Take LCC 4700 “Writing an Undergraduate Thesis” • Write an undergraduate thesis/report of research on their findings

17. International Plan The International Plan (IP) is a challenging and coherent academic program for undergraduates that develops global competence within the context of a student's major. • Students must apply and be admitted into the program.• There is no GPA requirement for first semester freshmen applying to the International Plan.• Students can choose either the Foreign Language Option (recommended) or the English Language Option. • Students must be abroad for 26 weeks. This time can be study, work or research, approved by the IP and academic major offices. The time abroad can be all at once, or broken up.• IP students must complete a core set of courses that address international issues that transcend the student's major. • BME IP students use their senior design project as the capstone experience to tie the international studies and experiences together with the BME major.

18. Websites to Know and Love http://www.acad.bme.gatech.edu/undergraduate http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/ http://www.advising.gatech.edu/appointments/ http://irene.bme.gatech.edu/bmesab/index.html

19. Registration Overview • Registration for each semester happens at least twice • You will receive a ‘time ticket’ to register • Registration error? Go to: http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/registration/error2.php • Permits, prerequisites, overrides and overloads • Dropping courses

20. Final Thoughts Email is the official communication tool at Georgia Tech. Read our messages! Use the online scheduler: http://www.advising.gatech.edu/scheduler/ Be prepared for and attend all of your classes. Read and understand the syllabi for your courses. Make a it point to see all of your professors during their office hours. Take advantage of the academic support at Tech. Build in study times for all of your classes. Time management is crucial! Include “having fun” in your schedule, but resist social pressures to overdo it. Come see someone in the BME Academic Office at least once a semester. Do something productive in summer. Visit the website often: http://www.acad.bme.gatech.edu/undergraduate/

21. One day, this will be you!

22. Academic Office Ms. Sally Gerrish (Director Student, Alumni & Industrial Relations) • Career advisement • Advice on graduate and professional schools • Job and industry connections Mr. Paul Fincannon (Undergraduate Academic Advisor) • General academic advisement (sophomores, juniors, and seniors) • Schedule planning • Permits and overloads for BME classes during registration • Change of major and degree petitions • Information on academic support services Ms. Kim Paige (Freshman Academic Advisor) • General academic advisement freshman class • Resource for success strategies and retention • Coordinate the BME Study Abroad Program • Permits and overloads for BME classes • Change of major and other academic forms