Academic Advising Day

Group Pre-Advising Session (Junior Class)

Prof. Marsha Rolle

Prof. Glenn Gaudette

Prof. Ki Chon

February 15, 2011

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Topics for Juniors

• How do I do a degree audit?

• How do I find an awesome MQP?

• How do I find an REU or summer internship?

• BME careers (BS/MS, Grad. School, industry)

• Graduate School

• Other????

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How do I do a degree audit?

• 4 year plan – helpful for detailed scheduling – http://www.wpi.edu/academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/advise913.html

• BME Tracking document – to figure out what you

need to graduate - Fill it in EACH semester! – http://www.wpi.edu/academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/advise913.html

• Electronic audit on Registrar’s Website

– Login through student tools – known bugs !!!!!!

– Use the BME Tracking document

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How to do a degree audit

For details, see the streaming video of this presentation by Prof. Pins last

year – this appears at minutes~ 5:00-17:00, or watch the whole video!

Scroll to the bottom of this page for the video link:

http://www.wpi.edu/academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/advise913.html

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How do I schedule in all those courses?

• Course schedules:

– http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Registrar/schedules.html

• (Preliminary schedule for AY2011-2012)

• Watch out for category II classes

– Check course schedules, review ’09-’10 schedule

– For example – BME 4606 (C11); BME 4504 (C12)

Curriculum Enhancements

• New courses to be offered AY2011-2012

– Replaced sophomore-level “Bridge

courses” with more broad courses to

ensure core competencies remember when

watching video

– Added 3 new junior-level lab courses (1/6

unit) – not mentioned in videos

– Made “BME 4701 – Cell and Molecular

Bioengineering” permanent (was 37XX)

– Added “430X BME Capstone Design” to

support design process for off-campus

MQPs – not mentioned in videos

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Junior-level Lab Courses

• Added 3 junior-level lab courses to provide skills

– BME 350x – Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab

• Dr. Krystyna Gielo-Perczak

• A TERM!!!

– BME 381x – Biomaterials Lab

• Prof. Marsha Rolle

• C TERM!!!

– BME 382x – Cellular Engineering Lab

• Dr. Sakthikumar Ambady

• B TERM!!!

– 1/6 unit each; Engineering courses 7

Course schedule 2011/2012 BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

Terms

Crse. # Course Title A B C D

BME1001 INTRODUCTION TO BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING D

BME2210 BIOMEDICAL SIGNALS, INSTRUMENTS & MEASUREMENTS B

BME2211 BIOMEDICAL DATA ANALYSIS/PROGRAMMING D

BME2511 INTRO TO BIOMECHANICS AND BIOTRANSPORT A

BME2811 INTRO TO BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & TISSUE ENGINEERING C

BME3011** BIOINSTRUMENTATION AND BIOSENSORS C

BME3111 PHYSIOLOGY AND ENGINEERING C

BME3300 BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN A

BME3504 EXPERIMENTAL BIOMECHANICS B

BME350X SKELETAL BIOMECHANICS A^

BME381X BIOMATERIALS LABORATORY C^

BME382X CELLULAR ENGINEERING LABORATORY C^

BME430X MQP CAPSTONE DESIGN A^ B^

BME4701 CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOENGINEERING D

BME4814* BIOMATERIALS A

BME4828 BIOMATERIALS - TISSUE INTERACTIONS B

BME4023 BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION DESIGN I A CAT 2

BME4504* BIOMECHANICS C CAT 2

* CROSS-LISTED WITH MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

** CROSS-LISTED WITH ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

^ 1/6 UNIT LABS

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Senior-level Courses

• Added “BME 4701 Cell and Molecular

Bioengineering”

– Made permanent and 4000-level (was 37XX)

– Prof. Rolle

• Added “430X BME Capstone Design”

– Mentoring of engineering design process for off-

campus MQPs

– Voluntary, but highly advised

– Possible for on campus, see MQP advisor for advice

– A and B-term (1/6 unit each, must take both)

– Engineering credit (BME)

– Profs. Gaudette and Billiar 9

Off Campus MQPs – NEW!!!

• Find your own sponsor/project (v. on campus MQP with

faculty advisor)

– Continue a summer internship or co-op

– Continue a project in a lab

• UMass Medical School, Tufts Veterinary School, etc.

• To qualify:

– MUST be approved by your sponsor

– MUST be approved by BME Department

– MUST be a BME/Engineering project (not basic research)

– You MUST take BME 430X to fulfill Capstone Design

• Important notes:

– WPI policy forbids students from receiving payment for working on

MQPs for credit

– MUST document intellectual property, IRB, IACUC, etc. prior to start

– MQP Registration Form can be found at:

https://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Registrar/Forms/index.html

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How do I find an awesome MQP?

ATTEND: BME Department MQP Fair

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011

Goddard 227, 5:30 PM

Send project sign-up sheet to Dr. Ambady

Go to:

http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Projects/ for project listings

• Propose your own idea and group?

• Think of background courses and experiences that you’ll need/you have for your MQP

– Analysis/design skills - FEM/CAD, Circuits, materials

– Lab skills - wet lab, cell culture, testing

– Writing

• Aim to have a Project by late C term/early D term….

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How do I find a job or research

internship over the summer?

• REU and summer internships are great, but competitive http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm

• Career Development Center Info. sessions (www.wpi.edu/Admin/CDC/)

– Summer Internships and Cooperative Education

– 2011 Summer Internship & Job Fair - February 17th Harrington Auditorium 1-5pm

– Biotechnology and Bioengineering Career Fair – March 24, 2011 Campus Center Odeum – Check CDC site for details

• When: – REUs (NOW!!!!! Many are closed!!!)

– Internships/Co-ops (Late C or D terms)

• Asking for recommendation letters from faculty:

– See: http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/FS/letters.html

– For letters, ask faculty that know you and/or you did well in their classes

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How do I find a job or research

internship over the summer?

• Jobs: BEGIN SEARCHING IN SEPTEMBER!!!!!

• Volunteer if you don’t have paid internship/research experience

• Information about Massachusetts companies: – http://www.massmedic.com/

– www.medzilla.com

– http://www.massbio.org/

– http://massbiomed.org/ (MBI – one site at Gateway Park)

– http://www.masslifesciences.com/programs.html • Massachusetts Life Sciences Center – scroll down to Internship Challenge

• Visit individual company websites – search job openings – Many companies that hire BMEs are SMALL companies!

• CDC is an excellent resource – seek their help! – http://www.wpi.edu/Images/CMS/BME/Overview_of_the_CDC_spring_2010_(2).pdf

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Graduate School Applications

• Begin in the Fall, GREs are VERY important for highly

competitive programs

• Personal Statements / Recommendation Letters

– See: http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/FS/letters.html

– For letters, ask faculty that know you and/or you did

well in their classes

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What can I do with a BS, MS, and PhD

in BME?

• Undergraduate (BS) Degree – Device/Implant Design and Development Team

– Biomaterials Selection/Feasibility Assessment

– Clinical, User Interface

– QA/QC/Regulatory/Sales

– Laboratory Technician

– Graduate School

• Masters (MS/ME) Degree – Team Leader/Program Manager

– Research and Development

• Doctoral (PhD) Degree – Director of Research and Development

– Academic Research

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When do I sign up for the BS/MS

program?

o Go to site: http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/bsms.html

o Apply spring of Junior year or Fall Senior year o Completely SEPARATE from admission to the graduate

program

o In major GPA: 3.5/4.0

o Get signatures of instructors of 4000-level

courses you’d like to double count – before

you take the course

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What is the difference between and

M.S. and an M. Eng. degree?

• M.S. requires a thesis and is generally considered more

scholarly and hands on than the M.Eng. (M.E.).

• The M.E. does not require a thesis but requires additional

coursework - it is generally viewed good technical degree.

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What do I need to do before meeting

with my advisor to get the most out of

our meeting?

• Fill out a proposed course schedule for upcoming year

• Fill out a BME tracking document and tentative 4 year plan

• Any questions you have – about MQP, summer jobs, career planning, etc.

• Degree evaluation

– USE TRACKING DOCUMENT!!!

• Links and forms http://www.wpi.edu/academics/Depts/BME/Undergraduate/advise913.html

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Other Questions ???