Education for Engineers in Bio-Medical Research

Current bio-medical research is not only more demanding instrumentally, but inquires into biological phenomena which are far more complex physically and chemically than twenty years ago. It results that the instrumental requirements for significant observations are often misinterpreted by biologists because of inadequate concepts of the systems involved. Consequently, the engineer himself must understand the bio-systems and the design of the experiment to assess the adequacy of instrumentation and interpretation of readings. So complex are most bio-systems that this, in general, requires the most advanced engineering concepts. Education in engineering with some physiology to the master's level may yield adequate technical results, but does not produce or earn a satisfactory scientific relationship. For this a much higher scientific competence is needed in engineering, in biological understanding and in the interdisciplinary area. The latter is the special application of engineering science to bio-systems: a body of knowledge still barely begun, but rapidly growing. Discussed herein is the nature of such engineering, biological and interdisciplinary training, which should lead to a satisfying career as an engineering scientist in bio-medical research. For good reasons, this is seen as a collaborative relation.