Building the Foundation in High School | Biomedical Engineering.

A lot of students come to us with the goal of pursuing Engineering at a top American university. But when we ask "Why Engineering?", most say "because my parents want me to." So, this series is for students who are actually curious about the field but don't know where to begin. Each post will help you think about real career paths and what you should start exploring now if a particular major interests you.

Today's post is about Biomedical Engineering (BME). BME sits at the intersection of biology, engineering, and medicine, so your academic groundwork needs to reflect that. First of all, watch documentaries to understand whether you really like the field.

Documentaries/Movies To Watch —

1) The Gene: An Intimate History (PBS, 2020)— A powerful exploration of the human genome’s discovery and the ethical, medical, and scientific implications of gene editing and heredity.

2) Human Nature (2019)— A deep dive into the CRISPR gene-editing revolution and its promise for curing genetic diseases.

3) Code Black (2013)— Gives a raw view of emergency medicine and the potential for biomedical innovation to save lives.

4) How to Grow a Planet (BBC)— While focused on plants, it explores biomechanics and cellular evolution through a biomedical lens.

Academic Preparation in School —

Then comes Academics. Academically, focus on

a) Biology (human anatomy, physiology, genetics, and cell biology);

b) Physics (mechanics, electricity, and fluid dynamics for biomechanical and bioinstrumentation applications);

c) Chemistry (biochemistry and organic chemistry foundations to understand biomaterials and drug delivery systems), and

d) Mathematics (Calculus, Statistics, and Linear Algebra).

Complement your academic lessons with Computer Science (Python, MATLAB, or R for data analysis, modeling physiological systems, and algorithm development).

Read Foundational Texts —

Now that you've realized the above topics pique your curiosity, and you want to dive deeper, you can start exploring one or two more advanced Foundational Texts.

1) Schaum’s Outline of Human Anatomy and Physiology — Quick revision and exercises focused on body systems—ideal for BME basics.

2) Introduction to Biomedical Engineering— Enderle, Blanchard, and Bronzino— A readable and foundational textbook offering a bird’s-eye view of core BME subfields: imaging, biomechanics, biomaterials, and bioinstrumentation.

3) Biology — Campbell and Reece— A definitive textbook that covers molecular biology, systems biology, and biochemistry essential for BME.

4) Physics for Scientists and Engineers— Serway & Jewett— Offers rigorous explanations of mechanical and electrical systems relevant to biomechanics and bioinstrumentation.

Understand the Core Domains of BME—

When it comes to writing supplemental essays for universities, generic responses almost always lead to rejection. Start exploring specific subfields of BME and stay updated on ongoing research trends. The more specific you are, the better your essays will stand out.

Familiarize yourself with the following fields. Use YouTube channels like Khan Academy, MIT OCW, or HarvardX to explore these subfields.

1. Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering— Creation of artificial organs, tissue scaffolds.

2. Biomechanics— Study of motion, forces, and mechanical properties in biological systems.

3. Medical Imaging & Instrumentation— MRI, CT, ultrasound, sensors, biosignals.

4. Neuroengineering— Brain-computer interfaces, neural implants.

5. Biomedical Informatics— AI, data science applied to patient records and genomics.

6. Rehabilitation Engineering— Robotics, prosthetics, assistive technologies.

Follow “Nature Biomedical Engineering”, “IEEE Transactions on BME”, and “NIH Updates”, and track the latest in:

1. Wearable biosensors and smart textiles.

2. CRISPR-based gene therapy delivery systems.

3. 3D bioprinting of tissues.

4. Real-time neural interface systems (brain-computer interface).

5. Organ-on-chip technologies.

In the next post, we will share the extracurriculars you can consider to get prepared for BME.