Just how much medical knowledge do biomedical engineers have?

[theepodiatrist]

I've heard someone say that they're 50% engineers - 50% doctors....or it might have been 70% engineers and 30% doctors....which one would be more accurate?

(I'm asking about the kind of biomedical engineers that deal with tissue eng, genetic eng, and medical biotechnology rather than the kind that deal with medical devices)

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[JETER]

I've heard someone say that they're 50% engineers - 50% doctors....or it might have been 70% engineers and 30% doctors....which one would be more accurate?

They are 0% doctors, unless they are also a doctor. When they ask over the plane's intercom "is there a doctor on board?", no engineer wonders if they should be raising their hand. Partially or otherwise.

Engineers apply physics to things. So, maybe 50% physicist/50% biologist for some of the more bio-inclined engineers.

 

[theepodiatrist]

They are 0% doctors, unless they are also a doctor. When they ask over the plane's intercom "is there a doctor on board?", no engineer wonders if they should be raising their hand. Partially or otherwise.

Engineers apply physics to things. So, maybe 50% physicist/50% biologist for some of the more bio-inclined engineers.

Do they know anything about recognising symptoms and diagnosing? What about treatment?

 

[Neuronix]

Do they know anything about recognising symptoms and diagnosing? What about treatment?

Nothing. 0%. JETER is right.

 

[Seihai]

100% engineers, 0% doctors in terms of general medical knowledge. Engineers may know of a specific disease or presentation if they work in that field, but almost certainly not to the degree of being able to treat or manage someone with that disease.

In terms of "medical knowledge," I'd argue that BMEs do have some understanding of physiology and such, but only from an engineering standpoint and not from a medical standpoint. No engineer could replace a doctor, though I do think BMEs are in a good position to become doctors in the future, if they go to medical school.