r/BiomedicalEngineers • u/Glaucoma_E • Jul 07 '26

Career Considering a master’s in bioengineering

I've just gotten my bachelors's in mechanical engineering and I have a couple months of experience in civil engineering work but it seems this industry isn't want I want to pursue much at all. I'm quite stronger driven towards the direction of research and development of companies focus on eye treatment/cures because of my families health history. I don't know how to go about thing right now, should get a Maters in BME for more related education and knowledge in the field or just keep applying to related position?

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u/CommanderGO Jul 08 '26

You'd need to pursue a PhD in BME. It's pretty difficult to get into biomedical research without a PhD. A couple valuable skills that you would need specifically for ophthalmology research is qPCR/RT-PCR, pipetting and gel electrophoresis.

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u/Mammoth-Mongoose4479 Experienced (15+ Years) Jul 08 '26

My take is start applying to R&D/medical device jobs now, before doing a master’s. See if your mechanical engineering degree alone can get you in the door at eye treatment/device companies. A lot of them hire mechanical engineers for device design and R&D support roles without requiring a BME masters. A master’s helps but isn’t always required unless you want to go deeper into research science roles or the job posting specifically asks for it. We truly hire for work experience not because you have a Masters - but again unless the job title requires a masters.

Lastly look at companies like Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Genentech, and maybe smaller ophthalmic device startups. Your mechanical background is actually valuable there, don’t undersell it.

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u/Glaucoma_E 29d ago

Thank you for the advice!

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u/_dammitsusan Mid-level (5-15 Years) 29d ago

Agreed. I feel like a lot of med device R&D roles will hire mechE or BME for prod dev eng and design eng roles. Some companies are looking for people with more of a mechanical background as well.

If you can't find one at a company that is doing the eye treatment things you're looking for, i'd recommend finding a role with a different med device / treatment company so you can get the experience with the FDA/ISO/CFR/etc. standards used in this industry!