Q: Why did you choose the Graduate Certificate in Translational Biomedical Engineering program at Â鶹AV?
I chose the Translational Biomedical Engineering Certificate program because it offered me the chance to study biological science principles from a more engineering standpoint while also not outright committing to a research project. I had wanted to see my chosen discipline from a slightly different viewpoint and here was a chance to do so.
As for Â鶹AV, people will be drawn to the best universities and so Â鶹AV was a natural choice. Â鶹AV had been on my radar for years as a possible choice for both my undergraduate and later graduate studies.
As an international student, I chose Canada because I had lived in a non-English-speaking region for a while and I missed just hearing my language and the ease of communication. I also wanted to be closer to home and to live somewhere where it would be easier to see my family. This made Canada a great fit. Also, Canada offers a lot of attractive opportunities for people who study here.
In the end, the greatest reasons for my choice was because of the reputation of the school and because it offered the Certificate program.
Q: What was your favorite part of the Certificate program?
Being lectured by scholars/professionals from ostensibly different backgrounds but within a common field. I can now understand and appreciate how biomedical engineering is truly “multidisciplinary.”
Q: What was the most challenging part of the Certificate program?
It may seem easy, but it was choosing my complementary courses. It’s hard to get a sense from course descriptions what each course is like or whether I would enjoy and benefit from them. That’s why I recommend reaching out to course instructors and the Graduate Program Director (Dr. Haidar) for insight or advice.
Also, some of the math is pretty challenging!
Q: What was the most rewarding part of the Certificate program?
I got to see the biological sciences from what felt like a radically new perspective. I got exposed to potential career options that I hadn’t considered before and felt renewed vigour for the potential of working in a scientific field.
Q: Why would you recommend other students to take the Certificate?
The multidisciplinary aspect of biomedical engineering. It feels like you can start from anywhere and find your place within some biomedical engineering field, and indeed that you can go anywhere from there.
Q: What are your career goals?
I know I want to be involved in biological and biomedical sciences. I want to use molecular biology and cell and tissue engineering to do something. It’s the “what exactly” that gets me. For now, I am aiming for further graduate degrees in both biochemistry and biomedical engineering. To that end, I will be applying for graduate programs and looking at research opportunities. Other goals include focusing on improving my writing, and my long-term goal is to start a business that may or may not have to do with biological/biomedical sciences.
Q: How has the Certificate program helped you achieve you career goals? (or how will it help in the future?)
Firstly, I achieved my principal goals of studying at a higher level and finding research areas that interest me. I also think having a Graduate Certificate from Â鶹AV makes me a more attractive candidate than I was previously with only a Bachelor’s.
Secondly, being in Canada and Montreal and studying at Â鶹AV has helped me with my writing. Thinking about the possible research I might want to do has sparked my imagination.
Q: Did the Certificate program meet the expectations you had going in?
Yes. I wanted to see the sciences from a new perspective and to be exposed to new fields within it. Both goals were fulfilled.
Q: What could be improved about the Certificate program?
I really wish there was more opportunity for lab work. It’s great to learn about emerging and existing technologies within the disciplines, but it would have also been great do practical work. For example, I really liked the 3D section in my Cell and Tissue Engineering course (BMDE 505, taught by Prof. Satya Prakash) and the entire bio-polymers course (BMDE 504 Biomaterials & Bioperformance, taught by Prof. Maryam Tabrizian). How great would it have been if we actually went into the lab, tweaked some features of an existing medical device and then 3D printed it? This is one example of how the Certificate sparked new ideas in me for research and innovation in biomedical engineering – but it is challenging to make practical applications through coursework.
Q: If you could tell the world one thing about studying Translational BME at Â鶹AV, what would it be?
A lot of the classes are given in the Duff Medical Building which I am pretty sure is actually a haunted, labyrinthine entrance to another dimension. And not many places can boast that kind of architecture and history. So, studying at Â鶹AV BME is a truly unique experience.