Work in Progress: Exploring the Relationships Between BME Student Perception of the Field and Career Plans

Biomedical engineering (BME) programs attract students with a range of post-graduation aspirations including medical school, graduate school, engineering-focused industry, biotechnology-focused industry, etc. [1]–[3]. This diversity in how students aim to utilize their BME degree may reflect diversity in their motivation to study BME, their educational expectations, and even their perception of the field [2], [4]. Understanding the relationship between these factors would allow BME programs, at both the curricular and individual course levels, to better balance students’ interests and expectations as well as better support students' career goals. This work-in-progress uses preliminary student survey data to explore one such type of relationship – that between students’ perceptions of BME and their career plans and goals. This report will present the findings of this initial exploration, introduce two theoretical frameworks commonly used to study engineering student career paths, and discuss the implications of both on the development of a future multi-institutional study of BME students.