Biomedical Engineering

Industry/Area
• Engineering

About
“We are living in a period where combining biomedicine and engineering is needed to answer many
unsolved scientific questions.” ~Seung Baek

Biomedical engineering is the application of the engineering principles to medicine and biology to design
and create biomedical equipment & devices such as artificial internal organs, replacements for body parts,
and machines for diagnosing medical problems, computer systems, and software used in healthcare.
Biomedical engineering focuses on the advances that improve health care treatment (for e.g. diagnosis,
therapy). Specialty areas within the field of biomedical engineering are: Biomechanics, Biomaterials,
Bioinstrumentation, Bioinformatics, Systems Physiology, Rehabilitation Engineering, Tissue Engineering
and Clinical Engineering. Some examples of Biomedical Engineering innovations are artificial limbs,
prosthetics, imaging machines and various other medical devices.

Courses
• Diploma (Biomedical Engineering/Medical Electronics)

Duration 3 years
Eligibility • High School/Intermediate/ITI
• Some colleges have the criteria of specific minimum marks
Entrance Exam While some institutions give admissions on the basis of merit/state-
level entrance exams, other institutions conduct their own entrance
test. Some of them are:
• Polytechnic Diploma Entrance Exam (e.g. Delhi CET, TS POLYCET)
• Diploma Entrance Test (DET)
Average Course Fee ₹60,000 to ₹2,50,000
Mode Regular
Career Goal Junior Biomedical Engineer, Biological Technician, Lateral Entry in
B.Tech

• B.E./B.Tech (Biomedical Engineering/Computer Science and Engineering Specialization in

Bioinformatics/Electronics and Communication Specialization in Biomedical
Engineering/Medical Electronics/Biological Sciences and Bioengineering/Bioengineering)

Duration 4 years
Eligibility • 10+2 with a combination of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
and Biology (depending upon the college)
• Minimum marks required will depend on the college
• Class XII candidates with result awaited can also apply
 Entrance Exam While some institutions give admissions on the basis of merit list of
the qualifying examination (10+2), other institutions accept
national, state or university level entrance tests. Some of them are:
• JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) Main
• JEE Advanced
• UPSEE (Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Examination)
• COMEDK (Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental
Colleges of Karnataka) Undergraduate Entrance Test
• WBJEE (West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination)
• MHTCET (Maharashtra Health and Technical Common Entrance
Test)
• Vellore Institute of Technology Engineering Entrance Exam
(VITEEE)
• SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Exam (SRMJEEE)
Apart from the above exams, some institutions conduct their own
entrance test
Average Course Fee INR 2,00,000 to INR 10,00,000
Mode Regular
Career Goal Biomedical Engineer, Biotechnologist

• M.E./M.Tech (Biomedical Engineering/Bioengineering/Medical Electronics/Biological Sciences

and Bioengineering/Biomedical Technology/Applied Mechanics specialization in Biomedical
Engineering)

Duration 2 years
Eligibility • B.E./B.Tech
(Biotechnology/Bioengineering/Biochemical/Chemical/
Mechanical/Electronics and Communication/Computer and
Science/Electrical Engineering) with 55% to 60% marks
• M.Sc. (Biotechnology/Biochemistry/Mathematics/Physics/
Electronics/Computer Science)
Entrance Exam While some institutions give admissions on the basis of merit list of
the qualifying examination (10+2), other institutions accept
national, state or university level entrance tests.
• GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering)
• TANCET (Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test)
• VIT University Master’s Entrance Examination (VITMEE)
Apart from the above exam, some institutions conduct their own
entrance test
Specializations • Bioinformatics
• Biomedical Instrumentation
• Biomedical Signal Processing & Instrumentation
• Biomechanics
• Tissue Engineering
• Rehabilitation Engineering
 • Biomedical Electronics
• Biomaterials and Artificial Organs
• Medical Imaging and Image Processing
Average Course Fee INR 50,000 to INR 6,00,000
Mode Regular
Career Goal Biomedical Engineer, Research Scientist, Lecturer

Related Courses
• Diploma in Biomedical Instrumentation– 1 year
• PG Diploma in Bioinformatics– 1 year
• B.Tech/B.E. (Biotechnology/Applied Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering/Mechanical
Engineering/Electronics and Communication Engineering/Biochemical Engineering/Computer
Engineering/Instrumentation Engineering/Genetic Engineering)– 4 years
• M.Tech/M.E. (Biotechnology/Nanotechnology/Mechatronics/Medical Imaging and Image
Analysis/Clinical Engineering/Genetic Engineering/Biochemical Engineering)– 2 years
• M.Sc. (Genetic Engineering/Biotechnology/Bioinformatics/Biomedical Sciences)– 2 years
• MS (Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology)– 2-4 years
• Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering/Biosystems Science and Engineering/Biomedical
Sciences/Biomedical Devices Technology)– 3 to 6 years

Colleges
• National Institute of Technology- Rourkela, Raipur
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi
• SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu
• Anna University, Chennai
• Netaji Subhash Engineering College (NSEC), Kolkata
• Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore
• College of Engineering, Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune
• Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi (Karnataka)
• Government Engineering College, Gandhinagar
• Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
• Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka
• PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)- Kanpur, Madras, Bombay, Delhi, Kharagpur, Roorkee, BHU
Varanasi, Hyderabad, Gandhinagar, Roorkee & Kharagpur
• M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru
• BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru
• Osmania University, Hyderabad
• Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
• Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, Delhi
• Christian Medical College, Vellore
• Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum
 • North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong
• Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune

Diploma Colleges
• Government Institute of Electronics, Secunderabad
• Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad
• KMCT Polytechnic College, Kozhikode
• A. V. Parekh Technical Institute, Rajkot
• Parul University, Vadodara
• Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences, Pune

Internship/Training
• Hospitals like Apollo, AIIMS, Fortis, PGI
• Research Centers/Institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
(JNCASR), Central Drug Research Institute, National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG)
• Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institute
of Science (IISc) also offer summer internships.
• Pharmaceutical Companies/Medical Equipment Manufacturing Companies

Whether the internship is paid or not will depend upon the place from where one is doing the internship.

Scholarships
• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology in India encourages
postgraduate education and research in Biotechnology by offering scholarships to students
selected through a National Test.
• NCERT offers scholarships to engineering students through National Talent Search Examination
(NTSE).
• All India Scholarship Entrance Examination (AISEE)
• Institute specific scholarships are awarded by IIT Delhi, Kharagpur, Madras, Bombay, Roorkee,
Kanpur, BHU & Hyderabad.
• Aditya Birla Scholarship for engineering students in IITs.
• Siemens Scholarship for 1st year engineering students in IITs and NITs.
• SEMCI INDIA conducts the Nationwide Education and Scholarship Test (NEST) for engineering
students.
• FAEA BHEL Scholarship for engineering students who are socially and economically weak.
• IET India Scholarship for 2nd and 3rd year engineering students.
• Google Anita Borg Scholarship for students pursuing studies in the field of Science (only for
women)
• Ministry of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India offers Merit cum Means Scholarship (MOMA
Scholarship) to the engineering students belonging to the minority community who are not
financially strong.
• Indian Oil awards IOCL Scholarship to the 1st year engineering students.
• ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited) and NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation
Limited) Scholarship for SC/ST/PH engineering students.
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India– Central Sector Scholarship for ST students.
 • Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, Central Sector Scholarship
for SC students.

Key Skills
• Keen interest in science and mathematics
• Inquisitive mind
• Innovative thinking
• Scientific and analytical bent of mind
• Problem-solving skills
• High-level technical skills
• Attention to detail, accuracy, and precision
• Exceptional skills in observation, concentration, investigation
• Willingness to learn constantly
• Dexterous and alert
• Numeracy skills
• Flair for research and good in record keeping

Scope
• Healthcare Industry like Hospitals, Clinics etc.
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Medical Equipment Manufacturing Companies
• Research and Development/Laboratories/Research Organizations
• Government Regulatory Agencies
• Universities/Colleges
• Medical Institutions
• Biotechnology/Nanotechnology
• Software Firms

Career Prospects
• Biomedical Engineer/Biochemical Engineer
• Equipment Design Engineer
• Production/Manufacturing Engineer
• Clinical Researcher
• Quality Control Engineer/Officer
• Biotechnologist/Nanotechnologist
• Research Scientist
• Professor/Lecturer
• Production In charge
• Bioprocess Sales Specialist
• Biological Technician
• Product Safety Engineer
• Bioinstrumentation Engineer
• Technical Advisor
• Biochemist
Pay Package
Like in any other field the remuneration in this field depends on qualification, experience, and area in
which one works. One could get an initial pay of ₹18,000 to ₹40,000 per month.

Role Models
• Dr. Atul Goel – He developed a technique that is becoming the global standard for treatment of
basilar invagination. He calls his technique the atlantoaxial facetal distraction and
craniovertebral realignment, which is replacing the standard technique of surgery through the
mouth.
• Hari Gobind Khorana– Khorana was one of the pioneers in genetics and biotechnology. His work
with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley on the order of nucleotides in nucleic acids,
carrying the genetic code, earned him the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, in 1968. He
also made another breakthrough in the field, becoming the first to synthesize an artificial gene
into a living cell.
• Wilson Greatbatch– He was an American electrical engineer, invented the first implantable
cardiac pacemaker, in 1958. He also invented pacemaker batteries, which were essential to its
function. The invention of the transistor meant that the electrodes which the pacemaker relied
on, no longer used vacuum tubes, and a small device could be used.
• Nicholas A. Peppas– He is a chemical and biomedical engineer having expertise in biomaterials
science and engineering, drug delivery, nanotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, chemical and
polymer engineering. Peppas is a leading researcher, inventor and pacesetter in the field of drug
delivery and controlled release.

Further Readings
http://jeemain.nic.in/

https://www.jeeadv.ac.in/

http://www.gate.iitr.ernet.in/

http://gate.iitg.ac.in/

http://upsee.nic.in/

https://www.comedk.org/

https://wbjeeb.nic.in/webinfoexam/public/home.aspx