Biomedical Engineers

Skills

People in this career need to:

Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
Identify problems and review information. Develop, review, and apply solutions.
Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
Develop rules or follow guidelines for arranging items.
Determine how a system should work. Study how changes in conditions affect outcomes.
Think of new ideas or original and creative ways to solve problems.
Identify ways to measure and improve system performance.
Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.

Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.
Design equipment and technology to meet user needs.
Test and inspect products, services, or processes. Evaluate quality or performance.
Watch gauges, dials, and output to make sure a machine is working properly.
Write computer programs.

Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.
Imagine how something will look if it is moved around or its parts are rearranged.
Quickly and accurately compare letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns.

People in this career need knowledge in the following areas:

Biology: Knowledge of plants, animals, and living organisms and how they function.
Mathematics: Knowledge of the rules and uses of numbers. Areas of knowledge include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and statistics.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of how to build machines, buildings, and other things. Also includes knowledge of how to use computers, machines, and tools to do work more usefully.
Physics: Knowledge of the features and rules of matter and energy. Areas of knowledge include air, water, light, heat, weather, and other natural events.
English Language: Knowledge of the meaning, spelling, and use of the English language.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the properties of substances and the changes that occur when they interact.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of computer hardware and software.
Design: Knowledge of making and using plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Medicine and Dentistry: Knowledge of injuries, illnesses, and defects. Also includes the knowledge of setting up a plan for treatment.

People in this career are people who tend to:

Consider independence important. They like to make decisions and try out ideas on their own. They prefer jobs where they can plan their work with little supervision.
Consider achievement important. They like to see the results of their work and to use their strongest abilities. They like to get a feeling of accomplishment from their work.
Consider good working conditions important. They like jobs offering steady employment and good pay. They want employment that fits their individual work style. They may prefer doing a variety of tasks, working alone, or being busy all the time.
Consider recognition important. They like to work in jobs which have opportunities for them to advance, be recognized for their work, and direct and instruct others. They usually prefer jobs in which they are looked up to by others.
Consider relationships important. They like to work in a friendly, non-competitive environment. They like to do things for other people. They prefer jobs where they are not pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
Have investigative interests. They like work activities that have to do with ideas and thinking. They like to search for facts and figure out solutions to problems mentally.
Have realistic interests. They like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like to work with plants, animals, and physical materials such as wood, tools, and machinery. They often prefer to work outside.