Is Biochemical Engineering a good substitute for BME?

[Macromind101]

I am really interested in biotechnology/bioengineering and wish to pursue it as a career alongside medicine (my main goal is an MD-PhD). I really want to learn more about the field and take coursework in it but unfortunately, my school does not offer a BME minor and I do not think I should ditch my neuroscience/physiology majors for the single BME major degree. However, my school does have a biochemical engineering emphasis within the Chemical Engineering minor. So I was wondering if a Chemical Engineering minor with an emphasis on biochemical engineering is a good substitute for a supposed BME minor based on my interests. Some biotechnology/bioengineering techniques that I have experience in and wish to pursue as a career include electrophoresis, PCR, agar plates, DNA extraction, and fluorescence tagging.

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[Shirafune]

From what I understand, the techniques/experiences you listed are some pretty fundamental bench techniques and can't really be considered as career pursuits. To me, BME is about developing organic/physiologically accurate prosthetics, tissue engineering, and biomedical imaging techniques, to name a few topics. Biotech and BioE more related to industry, like mutagenesis to screen for more efficient/stable/etc protease you want to put in dishwashing soap, for example. And then ChemE, I have no idea about, other than it's likely to be much more focused on organic synthesis (if you're going for a biochemical emphasis).

I have no idea on career opportunities for Biotech/BioE as an MD/PhD, but I think you would benefit from interning at a biotech company.

I'm also interested in hearing what more senior people on this forum have to say...

 

[Nanorust]

I am not a more senior people, but I am majoring in biology and chemical engineering right now.

Biochemical engineering at my university focuses more on adapting lab techniques from biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and some molecular biology to industrial scales. Rather than learning benchtop techniques, you spend a lot of time talking about reactors and things flowing through pipes. It may not be the same everywhere, but I doubt chemical engineering is what you are looking for.

The techniques you described are not the kind of things you would usually find in biochemical engineering. I doubt you would even focus on them much in a BME (you wouldn't if you went to my university, anyway). If anything, those techniques are more likely to be seen in a molecular biology lab course. I would look into just taking some upper-level molecular, biochemistry, or microbiology classes and labs.

 

[foreverGrad]

If you are mainly interested in an MD/PhD in Bioengineering / Biotechnology, why are you so committed towards staying in neuroscience/physiology? The degree you choose to study in undergrad will not pigeon hole you to the graduate school department you pick in for the PhD component of your training. There is also no benefit to completing two degrees vs. one degree when you apply to an MSTP program. Programs care that you did well in your degree program, scored well on the MCAT, and have extensive research experience (the area of which shouldn't matter, as long as you perform well and understand your science).

If I were you, I would think about majoring in Chemical Engineering, and focus your coursework on BME related topics. Any engineering degree will prepare you for graduate work in BME, since BME is a very nebulous field. For example, I was an electrical engineer in undergrad, am a BME MD/PhD student working for a faculty member in Mechanical Engineering who does tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research. Field doesn't matter. A BME undergraduate degree prepares you for a job in industry, that any traditional engineering degree can also prepare you for. A ChemE degree would also make it MUCH easier to get a job after graduation if your interests change and you no longer want to pursue medicine. Companies prefer to hire traditional engineering majors over BME, since they typically gain a deeper understanding in one specific engineering field as opposed to an overview of many different topics. Much of the biological aspects in BME can be self taught on the job or in lab.

Obtaining an engineering degree will make it much easier to complete the quantitative coursework required in any BME PhD program. You most likely will not gain the mathematics required to successsfully complete PhD level coursework in engineering if you have an undergraduate major in neuroscience/physiology. All graduate programs in engineering will require math through at least differential equations. It is also helpful to be familiar with quantitative techniques taught in an undergraduate engineering curriculum. You should not be concerned with techniques taught in a major / minor influencing the area of science you go into. Every lab you join will teach you how to become proficient with their specific techniques, which are often MUCH different than anything you would learn in an undergraduate lab course.

Essentially, if you want to pursue graduate training in BME, complete an undergraduate engineering degree (ME or ChemE are probably the best).