By Kate Kurtin
The Biomedical Engineering (BME) program held its fifth annual career fair at the UConn-Storrs campus on February 4, 2010. The UConn students of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EMBS) and the student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) hosted the event.
Exhibitors were interested in candidates for the full spectrum of positions, from full-time employment to internships and co-ops. Among the employers attending the fair were Covidien, Philips Respironics, the Veterans Health Administration, National Instruments, the Hartford Hospital Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), Massachusetts General Hospital, Teleflex Medical, Yonsei University of Seoul, Korea — which was recruiting students to its study abroad program, and UConn — which has a clinical engineering internship position available.
Patricia Volpe, a recruiter form first-time exhibitor Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), explained the hospital was interested in an intern or entry-level employee with a background in biomedical engineering. “Not many programs specialize in biomedical engineering in the country,” she explained. Ms. Volpe and her co-recruiter Michael Crusack have also visited Boston University’s career fair looking to spark interest in their program. Because MGH has been pleased with the quality of UConn engineering graduates hired previously, the two had high hopes for recruiting at this year’s fair.
It is a daunting task to get the companies to come to an exclusive BME career fair, but Lisa Ephraim, the BME Academic Advisor, explained that general engineering career fairs generally lack opportunities for biomedical engineers. Senior Drew Seils, president of the UConn chapter of BMES, said planning for the career fair began in October. Members contacted nearly 700 companies in the months leading up to the February event, he explained.
BEACON, the Biomedical Engineering Alliance & Consortium, and the Biomedical Engineering Alliance for Industrial Internships sponsored the career fair.
