Work Experience

[WelchAg04]

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I will be applying next year and I have a work experience question for anyone who wants to give input. I am a biomed. engr. major and during the last year and a half I have been working at a major ortho. implant company through cooperative education. Just curious how schools might view this kind of engineering experience. Will they look highly upon it or will it just be something else to talk about. Aside from the engineering experience I've been to several surgeries and had experience in our on site cadaver lab during surgeon training sessions. By the time I apply I will have more volunteer-type experience, but I wanted to get input on this. Thanks!

 

[menemotxi]

What company do you work for? I'm BME too and I'm interning at Medtronic. I was wondering the same thing too.

I've talked to my friends who are in med school now who were BME's and they said they were asked about their internships in interviews. I think it will help you out a good bit, especially with the exposure you've had to surgeries and what not. I wrote in my personal statement about my clinical experiences on the job.

Good luck next year applying.

 

[WelchAg04]

I am just finishing up at Centerpulse in Austin. This summer is my last term and it ends in 3 weeks. I actually will be going to a surgeon training for our UniSpacer system tommorrow morning. Gonna get some good photos of us co-op students messing with the cadaver legs.

 

[sacrament]

I worked at a major (one might even say THE major, if that isn't too big of a hint) computer chip manufacturer as an engineer before going to medical school, and my interviewers were always fascinated by this. At one interview I spent a good 15-20 minutes explaining the general, non-proprietary fabrication techniques involved--I was sure the guy was getting bored, but he kept telling me to continue. Anyway, my interviews were apparently very successful, leading me to believe that having some sort of interesting work experience that isn't strictly medicine-related can be a big bonus.

 

[klinzou]

Thank God. I'm doign my co-op right now at Bridgestone as an EE for a year and a half, and I was hoping it wasn't wasting my time and that it might even help my admissions!

 

[WelchAg04]

Thats basically why I posted. I just wanted to hear someone say I wasn't wasting my time. Its too late now, but hearing that makes me feel better.

 

[WelchAg04]

Come on... anybody else?

 

[noy]

Every experience you have that lets you see another aspect of medicine is a GOOD thing. You have been around people thinking in a medical way, making medical decisions - this is good exposure, and will make you a better doc. After all, you were making more than rubber bands :>

Just talk it up the right way.