UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS, MINORS, AND ASSOCIATED AREAS OF STUDY
HENRY SAMUELI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING: PREMEDICAL Biomedical Engineering applies fundamental engineering principles to solve complex problems that are fundamentally medical in nature, and focuses at improving the quality of health care by advancing technology and reducing costs. Examples include advanced biomedical imaging systems, the design of microscale diagnostic systems, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. Biomedical Engineering: Premedical, relative to Biomedical Engineering, is more geared toward preparing students for admission to medical school. Biomedical engineering combines engineering expertise with medical needs for the enhancement of health care. It is a branch of engineering in which knowledge and skills are developed and applied to define and solve problems in biology and medicine. Students choose the biomedical engineering field to be of service to people, for the excitement of working with living systems, and to apply advanced technology to the complex problems of medical care. Biomedical engineers may be called upon to design instruments and devices, to bring together knowledge from many sources to develop new procedures, or to carry out research to acquire knowledge needed to solve new problems. During the last 20 years, we have witnessed unprecedented advances in engineering, medical care, and the life sciences. The combination of exploding knowledge and technology in biology, medicine, the physical sciences, and engineering, coupled with the changes in the way health care will be delivered in the next century, provide a fertile ground for biomedical engineering. Biomedical engineering, at the confluence of these fields, has played a vital role in this progress. Traditionally, engineers have been concerned with inanimate materials, devices, and systems, while life scientists have investigated biological structure and function. Biomedical engineers integrate these disciplines in a unique way, combining the methodologies of the physical sciences and engineering with the study of biological and medical problems. The collaboration between engineers, physicians, biologists, and physical scientists is an integral part of this endeavor and has produced many important discoveries in the areas of artificial organs, artificial implants, and diagnostic equipment. The major program objective is to prepare students for medical school. The curriculum is designed to meet the requirements for admission to medical schools, but is also suitable for those planning to enter graduate school in biomedical engineering, physiology, biology, neurosciences, or related fields. It has less engineering content and more biological sciences than the accompanying Biomedical Engineering major. It is one of many majors that can serve as preparation for further training in medical, veterinary, or allied health professions. The Biomedical Engineering: Premedical curriculum provides future physicians with a quantitative background in biomechanics, bioelectronics, and biotransport. Such a background is increasingly important because of the heavy utilization of biomedical technology in modern medical practice. The curriculum includes courses in the sciences that satisfy the requirements of most medical schools. The education experience is enriched through a design course where students work as teams to solve Biomedical Engineering problems inspired by the clinical arena at the UCI Medical Center. - From the 2007-2008 UCI General Catalogue |
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