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Biomedical Engineering Career Symposium returns for its fourth consecutive year

The Biomedical Engineering Career Symposium returned for its fourth consecutive year, this time with an expanded and more methodical approach.

The annual student-led symposium, organized by the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), provided an opportunity for students to connect and learn from various company representatives in the med-tech industry. It featured company information sessions, company tabling, product demonstrations and one-on-one meetings with experienced industry professionals.

 
Male student talking to company representative at a career fair

A student talking with a company representative at the fourth annual Biomedical Engineering Career Symposium.

This year’s iteration of the event featured 15 companies and organizations, including newcomers Stryker and Parameters Research Laboratory. Fourth-year student and BMES Career Symposium Committee member Meredith Overton said the slight increase in industry presence compared to last year’s event was a sign of changing times, but also a result of their proactivity.

“We really focused on reaching out to companies earlier this year,” Overton said. “We utilized resources from Career Services to promote the event to a larger group of industry contacts. Our goal was to broaden the group that we were bringing in and I think that’s why we got some of these other companies to register.”

Overton and her team saw an increase in student attendees, as well. Nearly 175 students in the Biomedical Engineering Program (BME) showed up to the event ready and eager to meet with company representatives.

But for the committee, it wasn’t just about providing students with more companies and opportunities. It was about raising awareness and helping students understand what they can do with the opportunities available.

“We wanted to provide a diverse breadth of companies so that students are aware of what’s out there, what they can do with their degree and where they can work,” said fourth-year student and BMES Committee member Vivian Shi. “That’s the message we focused on with this event—what it truly means to be a biomedical engineer in the industry.”

 
A man pointing at medical models on a computer screen as others watch

A Medtronic company representative giving a product demonstration.

Even the company representatives themselves felt the impact of the group’s efforts. Luke Shaw, a project engineer at Murphy Company Mechanical Contractors, said he was impressed with both the event and the student attendees.

“CU Boulder does a really good job providing larger, more comprehensive career fairs with a vast amount of companies, but also these more specific ones tailored to a certain industry that allows for more depth and connection between company and student,” said Shaw, who is also affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering. “The kids who attended this event—they are the cream of the crop. They’re well-prepared, professional and it really makes a difference.”

As the BME program continues to grow, Overton and Shi say they are excited to see the symposium expand even further. 

But there’s one thing more important to them than growth: maintaining the integrity of the event.

“It’s all about the student experience,” Overton said. “It’s about finding ways to help students have a successful career fair experience where they feel confident and prepared to talk to company representatives when the time comes.”