Choosing the right stream while stepping into higher standards seems like one of the difficult things. You have to be cautious with the stream you want to go after and taking a wrong step can make you feel confused after graduation and all. Most people consider engineering because it is having a wide number of streams after completion of the 12th standard as in India.
Once you learn that engineering is not only about CSE, Civil, and all, you will explore a pretty wide number of options. It doesn’t matter what stream you choose, if you are passionate about it, you will definitely achieve a lot. Doing anything for society or family pressure can end up students misleading that’s why you should think before finalizing.
Mechanical engineering and Biomedical engineering are two widely popular option in 2020. Students who have an interest in mechanics look after both options. Suggesting both streams might be simple for anyone but if you do one by one comparison of important aspects like what you learn, placements, wages, and few more factors, you can easily finalize the right one. Let’s begin by taking an intro to both streams.
Mechanical Engineering – Explained
In mechanical engineering, you are going to study mathematics and physics principles along with material science analyses. You have to deal with material science design, maintenance, manufacture of the system, and more. As it is one of the broadest and oldest fields of engineering, mechanical engineering seems like an easy suggestion to anyone.
You should have a good understanding of dynamics, thermodynamics, mechanics, electricity, material science, structure analysis, and the electric field. You will be using modern tools like CAD programs specially designed for computers to have a better workflow and understanding of what you are doing. The other tools you will be learning are AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, Fusion 360, Computer-Aided Manufacturing and Design, and project management in this field.
As you will be working on projects, you will learn about the HVAC system, watercraft, robotics, weapons, and many other types of devices used in the medical field. Dealing with production and operation requires a better understanding and a wide imagination of what you are planning. You are going to design and maintain machinery so being clear with your logic seems like an important task here. Overall, this field is wide and opens up a lot of opportunities.
Career
Mechanical students get pretty good salaries working in this field. The salary is outstanding and as per the studies of 2018, mechanical engineering students attained pretty good wages than the rest of the streams. In the US, the average mechanical engineer income per annum is nearly $87,000. Professionals who have completed studies in architectural management and engineering get double pay. Applying for this good wage seems like a dream job for many students but if you compare the numbers in India, the earning is third of the US. An average student working in a reputed MNC can easily expect 24 lakh per annum.
Education
If you want to be a mechanical engineer, you should look after a mechanical bachelor’s degree. No doubt that this course involves plenty of fields so you have to start with systems, computer programming, mechanics, and much more. It also involves thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, hydraulics, and other fields. Pursuers also need knowledge in electrical engineering, chemical engineering as well as in civil engineering to begin studies in this sector.
There are lots of degree program which require coursework in other areas which basically includes environmental science and business. After completing the studies, you will get the certificate of course and you can definitely begin earning after getting the certificate. Students need a license before operating and it is provided as PE in the US but it varies from country to country and state to state.
Responsibilities
The job responsibilities for a mechanical engineer are a lot more similar to biomedical engineers but there are few differences. The below mentioned are a few responsibilities to look after –
- Focus on the development of new machines that are able to perform a specific function as per the requirement.
- Performing research
- You have to focus on the production of schematic and technical material along with computer design software
- Evaluating protocols to understand the problem and finding the perfect solution.
Biomedical Engineering – Explained
BME or biomedical Engineering is also called medical engineering which focuses on the utilization of design concern in engineering. You will be dealing with the principles of biology and medications. This field is completely about healthcare such as therapeutic and diagnostics so you don’t have a wide number of opportunities. You will be working in the narrow gap which is all about medicine and engineering.
But, don’t get your hopes down because the medical field doesn’t have many biomedical professionals and the demand is pretty good. This thing increases the scope for students. You will be dealing with the skills of engineering and troubleshoot of design skills. As you are focusing on medical science as well as further healthcare treatment, the workload reduces. You don’t have to deal with many issues as compared to the mechanical engineer. On the other hand, this work also focuses on monitoring, diagnosis, and therapy factor.
Diagnosis is an important part of biomedical engineering and you have limited work so you can stay relaxed. But, there are lots of responsibilities for you because you are working in the healthcare sector. Overseeing machinery and ensuring that everything is functioning perfectly is an important task for you. This task includes procurement, preventative maintenance, updating with new equipment, routing test, and more. Due to this, BME is also called BMET which standards for biomedical equipment technician.
It doesn’t matter that what you are called, Clinical engineer or a BMET, you have a hefty responsibility to look after.
Carrier
The earning factor varies for Biomedical engineering as compared to mechanical engineering. There are no clear numbers that how much a BME expert gets but don’t get disappointed with this because BME has a pretty good carrier. Most companies in India are looking after students who are pursuing BME. There were more than 20K jobs in the US in 2018 and these numbers increase by thrice in 2020. Coronavirus pandemic stopped everything but medical professionals need more experts to work on new machines for tests. Students pursuing this stream are going to get way better opportunities and this field is good enough to get started.
Education
Simply putting it in simple words, pursuers of biomedical engineering need a bachelor’s degree and it is the minimal requirement in the education of BME. Students should possess a GED or they can apply with a high school diploma. Before getting started, they have to clear a cut-off rank which is based on ACT or SAT basically. These courses are going to merge work from general engineering which is focused on chemistry and the other field is biology program.
If you look at students in bachelor’s degree programs from biomedical engineering, they have a little selection option. They can specify areas, bioinstrumentation, medical optics, biomechanics, biomolecular engineering and biomechanics to get started. Apart from these studies, students are going to get five different courses which are as follow –
- Physiology
- Statistics and calculus
- Biology
- Organic chemistry
- Engineering
These are all the courses students will get while studying in the biomedical engineering field. The options might seem impressive but each one opens different streams to students so they have to choose the right one based on what kind of job they like.
Responsibilities
A healthcare field is focused on reducing the work and getting accurate results for better treatment of patients. All those people who are working in biomedical engineering have to focus on finding new methods to help people. The responsibilities for a BME engineer are as follow –
- Research in Biological process.
- Developing new medical equipment
- Figuring out methods to provide better health care
- Medical research and diagnosis
- Reduction of materials need in joint, bone, and organs
Quick Salaries Comparison
Engineers from mechanical and Biomedical engineering are getting pretty good earning in the past couple of years. If you are willing to work in a pretty good field and don’t want to face any issue then you can choose any from these two options. The expected earnings are –
- Mechanical engineers: 15 Lakh to 24 Lakh per Annum
- Biomedical engineers: 18 Lakh to 25 Lakh per Annum
These numbers are based on factors like are average salaries paid to engineers after having two years of experience in the same field. Your skills and knowledge matter a lot to get you a great wage. Even, confidence is an important factor which plays an important role in getting such salaries.
Bottom Line
Both the fields are pretty wide and the earning is good enough to attract you. The scope is nearly the same but suggesting mechanical engineering is easy because of the better placement particularly in India. The job demand for BME is getting high but it will take time so if you have enough time, then BME is the best choice.
Related Topics:
- Mechanical Engineering Vs. Automobile Engineering: Which is Best?
- Mechanical Engineering Vs Civil Engineering: Which is Best?
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
