Clarissa: Biomedical Engineering
Warum wolltest du genau dieses Fach studieren?
I wouldn’t say there was a particular reason for what I chose to do. It was much more of a trial and error scenario than that. Perhaps even just a random walk. I started out in the College of Engineering at my university because I really enjoyed technical coursework. After a year or so, I joined the Biomedical Engineering department because I was really drawn to the complexity of the human body. After another year or two, I became interested in the brain in particular and transitioned into studying neuroscience. Along the way, I tried many topics and jobs that I enjoyed, but I wasn’t truly passionate about. Ultimately, it became clear that studying the brain was my passion and therefore it has become the focus of my studies and career!
Welche Momente zeigen dir, dass du den richtigen Studiengang für dich ausgewählt hast?
I think I realized I was studying the right program when I stopped thinking of homework as ‘work’. Instead, I was so interested in the topics that I was going above and beyond on each assignment. I was really drawn into the details and to me, this was indicative of a great choice of study.
Was war in deinem Studium ganz anders, als du es dir vorgestellt hast? Musstest du dir bestimmte Qualitäten aneignen?
As I mentioned, I tried many different things in my studies. Even though I found many things I didn’t want to do, each course and each job was informative. I learned a new skill, and I learned about myself and what I liked to do. I think the number one quality that I acquired was resilience. As many successful people have said, it is not about how many times you fall down, but how quickly you pick yourself up and try again. Perseverance will help you to succeed!
Welche Berufe sind allgemein mit deinem Studienfach möglich?
I studied Biomedical Engineering – and really, the professions are quite limitless. Some people go on to medical school to become practicing physicians. Some entrepreneurs use their biomedical research to spin off new startups while others join existing research and development groups at established biomedical companies. With a broad knowledge base, I have known people who go into consulting groups and others who join research organizations. With a degree in biomedical engineering, you can act at the interface of multiple disciplines and I think this makes your career options quite flexible.
Welchen Beruf übst du gerade aus und was bewegt dich zu dieser Entscheidung?
At the moment, I am pursuing a career in basic research. I am motivated on this path because I really enjoy the pursuit of knowledge. Each day, I develop new hardware, software, and even ideas in order to test our hypotheses. I really like the novelty of my work.
Welche besonderen Erfahrungen hast du während des Studiums/deiner Arbeit gemacht?
Working in research is inherently international – so perhaps some of my most interesting experiences have been in interacting and collaborating all over the world. I have spent time in many countries through courses, conferences, and exchanges.