Day in the Life of a Biomedical Engineer | Layoffs & is Biomedical a safe option?

Summary

Saloni Verma, a biomedical engineer, shares insights into her daily life, including work on medical devices, managing product improvements, and client meetings. She addresses tech layoffs, advising international students on the stability of biomedical engineering careers. Also, she discusses mentorship programs and answers a question about securing research assistantships as an undergraduate.

Takeaways

• 😀 Saloni Verma, the speaker, is a biomedical engineer who graduated from Cornell University and works in Upstate New York.
• 📚 Saloni discusses college admissions, particularly for international students interested in Ivy League and elite colleges through her YouTube channel.
• 🎓 She emphasizes the impact of tech layoffs in 2022, with 150,000 tech workers laid off, including 18,000 from Amazon, due to over-hiring and a lack of work.
• 🌐 Saloni advises international students to consider the current tech layoffs but not to be overly worried, as the situation is likely to improve by the time they graduate.
• 🛠️ Biomedical engineering is highlighted as a field with diverse skill sets, including lab work, programming, and working on medical devices, making it resilient to tech layoffs.
• 💼 Saloni's role has evolved from product development to managing and improving existing products, ensuring they meet FDA guidelines and client needs.
• 🔬 The day-in-the-life segment showcases Saloni's work, including site visits to hospitals, lab work, and meetings with clients to develop experimental protocols.
• 📝 The importance of documentation in biomedical engineering is stressed, with every step needing to be recorded for improvements or error tracking.
• 🍽 Saloni mentions her daily routine, including lunch breaks and responding to emails, highlighting the balance between work and personal life.
• 🎁 She promotes a perfume brand, Dossier Perfumes, for its travel-friendly and affordable luxury fragrances, offering a discount code for viewers.
• 📈 The video concludes with a discussion about mentorship programs for students, recent acceptances to various universities, and advice on research assistantships and funding.

Q & A

Who is Saloni Verma?

Saloni Verma is a biomedical engineer who graduated from Cornell University and works in Upstate New York. She runs a YouTube channel where she discusses college admissions, particularly for international students aiming to get into top Ivy League universities and elite colleges.

What is Saloni Verma's educational background?

Saloni Verma is a biomedical engineer who graduated from Cornell University.

What are the main topics Saloni Verma discusses on her YouTube channel?

Saloni Verma primarily discusses college admissions, strategies for international students to get into top universities, and occasionally rants about the lack of views and likes on her channel.

What is the current situation with tech layoffs mentioned by Saloni Verma?

As of the time of the video, there have been significant tech layoffs with 150,000 tech workers laid off in 2022 alone. Companies like Amazon announced cuts of 18,000 workers. This is largely due to over-hiring in the past and not having enough work for all the employees.

Why should international students be concerned about tech layoffs?

International students should be concerned about tech layoffs because those graduating and already in the workforce are facing the biggest hurdle of these layoffs. However, Saloni Verma suggests that the situation may improve by the time new students finish their degrees.

What is the impact of tech layoffs on biomedical engineering?

Biomedical engineering, being closely related to healthcare, is not affected by tech layoffs as severely as other departments like engineering management or software engineering. This is due to the nature of the healthcare industry and its continuous need for advancements.

What skills does Saloni Verma have as a biomedical engineer?

Saloni Verma has a variety of skills including lab work, programming (Matlab, Python, JavaScript), coding, working on medical devices, and handling both hardware and software aspects.

What is Saloni Verma's current role in her company?

Saloni Verma has shifted from being heavily involved in the R&D side of medical devices to managing existing products, identifying areas for improvement, and laying out plans of action while ensuring compliance with FDA guidelines.

What is Saloni Verma's advice for international students considering studying in the US?

Saloni Verma suggests that choosing the US for further education, especially in biomedical engineering, is a safe bet. She believes that by the time new students graduate, the current tech layoffs situation may have improved.

What is the significance of documenting every step in biomedical engineering work?

Documentation is crucial in biomedical engineering as it helps in identifying improvements and catching mistakes. It is a requirement for regulatory compliance, especially in the healthcare industry, and can be done through lab notebooks, online platforms, or specific SOPs and paperwork.

What is Saloni Verma's perspective on the flexibility of a career in biomedical engineering?

Saloni Verma believes that a career in biomedical engineering offers flexibility, allowing individuals to mold their career paths based on their interests and skills, rather than being stuck in a specific area like chemistry if they dislike it.

What is the typical pay rate for a research assistant (RA) position in Arizona?

The pay rate for an RA position in Arizona, using ASU as an example, is between $13 to $15 per hour before taxes, and about $12 per hour after taxes.

Can the income from an RA position be used as proof of funds for an F1 Visa?

No, the income from an RA position cannot be used as proof of funds for an F1 Visa. The amount on the I20 form must be shown as liquid funds, and future earnings from work cannot be counted towards this requirement.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Introduction to Saloni Verma's Biomedical Engineering Career

Saloni Verma, a biomedical engineer and Cornell University graduate, introduces herself and her YouTube channel focused on college admissions, particularly for international students aiming for Ivy League and elite colleges. She discusses the tech layoffs of 2022, affecting 150,000 workers, including Amazon's announcement of 18,000 job cuts. Saloni emphasizes that while tech layoffs are concerning, they are not perpetual and often stabilize. She suggests that international students considering studying in the US, especially in biomedical engineering, are making a safe choice, given the field's diverse skill sets and relative stability amidst the layoffs.

05:01

🛠️ A Day in the Life of a Biomedical Engineer

Saloni provides a glimpse into her daily routine as a biomedical engineer, including managing products, identifying improvements, and ensuring compliance with FDA guidelines. She shares her transition from product development to a more managerial role, highlighting the adaptability of the field to suit personal preferences. Saloni also discusses a site visit to Canada, where she collaborates with a client to develop experimental protocols and lab work, emphasizing the importance of staying current with technology in the medical device industry. She also mentions the necessity of documentation in biomedical engineering and her personal preference for a travel-friendly perfume, Dossier Perfume, which she uses to maintain a pleasant scent during her travels.

10:01

🍽️ Lunchtime and Afternoon Tasks

After a productive morning, Saloni shares her plans for lunch at an Indian restaurant in Waterloo and her intention to respond to emails and complete paperwork for the lab work conducted that day. She underlines the importance of documentation in the field and the various methods used for record-keeping. Saloni also outlines her afternoon schedule, which includes meetings and presentations with Canadian clients, focusing on defining protocols and ensuring technological compatibility with client needs. She reflects on the challenges and rewards of troubleshooting and problem-solving as part of her job, concluding that despite the stress, it's an integral part of being a biomedical engineer.

📚 Student Mentorship and Q&A Session

Saloni wraps up the video by discussing her mentorship programs for students through Incognito Blueprints, which have yielded successful admissions and funding for students in various universities and programs. She shares the outcomes for students who have applied for the fall 2023 intake, including acceptances and waitlists from prestigious institutions. Saloni also addresses a question from a previous video about the feasibility of securing a research assistantship (RA) position for international students in their first year, explaining the process and suggesting that it's more likely from the second semester onwards. She provides an example of pay rates for RAs at ASU and clarifies that on-campus work cannot be used as proof of funds for visa applications, but can contribute to living expenses.

Keywords

💡Biomedical Engineer

A biomedical engineer is a professional who applies engineering principles to the medical field, often involved in the design, development, and testing of medical devices, equipment, and software. In the video, Saloni Verma introduces herself as a biomedical engineer, highlighting the diverse skill set required in this field, from lab work to programming languages like Matlab, Python, and JavaScript. This keyword is central to the video's theme, as it sets the stage for discussing the day-to-day activities and challenges faced by someone in this profession.

💡Ivy League Universities

Ivy League Universities refer to a group of eight prestigious American institutions known for their academic excellence, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and others. Saloni mentions these universities in the context of helping international students get admitted to top-tier colleges. The term underscores the educational focus of her YouTube channel, which aims to guide students through the college admissions process.

💡Tech Layoffs

Tech layoffs refer to the mass termination of employees in the technology sector, often due to economic downturns or company restructuring. The script mentions that 150,000 tech workers were laid off in 2022 alone, with companies like Amazon announcing significant cuts. This concept is relevant to the video as it discusses the impact of such layoffs on international students and the job market, particularly in fields like biomedical engineering.

💡International Students

International students are those who leave their home country to study abroad. The video addresses concerns about the tech layoffs and their potential impact on international students, especially those studying in the US. Saloni emphasizes that despite the layoffs, pursuing education in the US, particularly in biomedical engineering, remains a safe bet, as the field is less affected by these economic shifts.

💡Lab Work

Lab work involves conducting experiments and research in a laboratory setting, often a key component of biomedical engineering. Saloni discusses her involvement in lab work, which includes developing products and identifying areas for improvement in medical devices. This keyword is integral to the video's narrative, showcasing the hands-on aspect of a biomedical engineer's job.

💡Medical Devices

Medical devices are instruments or equipment used in the medical field for diagnosis, treatment, or research. The video script mentions working on medical devices, indicating the practical application of biomedical engineering principles. Saloni's role involves managing and improving these devices, which is a significant part of her job as a biomedical engineer.

💡FDA Guidelines

FDA Guidelines refer to the regulations set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which govern the development, testing, and approval of medical devices and drugs. Saloni mentions adhering to these guidelines in her work, emphasizing the importance of regulatory compliance in the healthcare industry. This keyword is crucial for understanding the constraints and standards biomedical engineers must follow.

💡Documentation

Documentation in the context of biomedical engineering involves recording every step of the research and development process. Saloni highlights the necessity of documenting lab work and other activities, which is essential for tracking progress, identifying errors, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. This keyword underscores the meticulous nature of work in this field.

💡Site Visit

A site visit in this context refers to visiting a client's location to conduct assessments, set up protocols, or perform other collaborative tasks. Saloni mentions going on a site visit to Canada, where she works with a client to develop experimental protocols. This keyword illustrates the fieldwork aspect of a biomedical engineer's role, showing the practical application of theoretical knowledge.

💡Research Assistantship

A research assistantship is a position where a student assists a professor or researcher in conducting research, often in exchange for a stipend or tuition waiver. Saloni discusses the challenges of securing an RA position as an international student, particularly in the first semester. This keyword is relevant to the video as it addresses common concerns among students about gaining research experience during their studies.

💡Proof of Funds

Proof of funds is a financial document showing that an individual has sufficient resources to cover their expenses, such as tuition and living costs, while studying abroad. Saloni clarifies that earnings from on-campus work cannot be used as proof of funds for visa applications, which is a critical point for international students planning their finances.

Highlights

Saloni Verma introduces herself as a biomedical engineer and a Cornell University graduate.

Discusses the focus of her YouTube channel on college admissions and international students.

Mentions the tech layoffs in 2022 and their impact on the job market.

Explains the reasons behind tech layoffs, such as over-hiring and lack of work.

Addresses concerns for international students regarding the tech layoffs.

Provides reassurance that the tech layoffs are temporary and will eventually stop.

Advises international students to consider studying in the US despite the current job market situation.

Discusses the versatility of skill sets in biomedical engineering, including lab work and programming.

Describes her career shift from product development to product management in biomedical engineering.

Emphasizes the importance of following FDA guidelines in the healthcare industry.

Shares her daily routine, including client meetings and hospital site visits.

Recommends Dossier Perfume as a travel-friendly fragrance option.

Details the documentation process for lab work and its importance in biomedical engineering.

Talks about her lunch break and the need to respond to emails and complete paperwork.

Describes a successful day at work, including troubleshooting and setting up experiments.

Mentions her role in defining protocols for clients and integrating technology.

Provides advice on securing research assistantship positions for international students.

Discusses the average pay rates for research assistantships in Arizona.

Clarifies that on-campus work cannot be used as proof of funds for an F1 Visa.

Transcripts

dude

[Music]

and that is World prep let's go to work

[Music]

all right guys so

I feel like it's been a while since I

kind of like spoke to you guys like you

know just like one-on-one so let's start

from the very beginning now for everyone

who is new to the channel my name is

saloni Verma and I am a biomedical

engineer

um I graduated from Cornell University I

work in Upstate New York and through

this YouTube channel we talk about

college admissions how International

students could get into top ivy league

universities Elite colleges and every

now and then I like to rant about the

lack of views and likes on the channel

as well

um but I thought that in this video I

will kind of like take you along with me

throughout the day uh show you what a

day in the life of a biomedical engineer

looks like and touch a little bit on

kind of like the tech layoffs that have

been going on now I would be quite

worried if you guys didn't know what I'm

talking about but for anyone who isn't

up to speed here is a little snapshot of

what's going on 150

000 Tech workers have been laid off in

2022 alone Amazon today announcing it's

going to cut 18 000 workers

so I'm not going to bore you guys with

like the big story of what happened but

in the last few years companies over

hired they thought that they would need

a lot of people they didn't that's why

they're starting to lay those people off

because there just isn't enough amount

of work for all of those over hires that

they did

um so as International students why

should you be worried and how much

should you be worried is the question of

the hour and I would say that a lot of

the students that are graduating right

now that are already here are facing

like the biggest hurdle of the tech

layoffs in general

um if you see kind of like the growth

and these situations that have happened

in the past these Tech layoffs don't

don't like go on for years and years and

years they ultimately stop and

um if someone is planning to come to the

US to study there's a good chance that

by the time you come here finish your

degree and graduate this situation won't

be how it is right now so from like a

future prospective international student

standpoint I feel like it's a pretty

safe bet to choose us as you're

continuing further education and

biomedical in general like for me for

example I have variety of skill sets all

the way from like lab work I have some

programming skills like I've taught

myself how to do Matlab python

JavaScript

some amount of coding that's required

work on medical devices work on the

hardware as well as the software side of

things so if you like in that sense

because biomedical engineering is so

closely related to healthcare it's not

being affected by the tech layoffs as

bad as other departments like

engineering management software

Engineers these kind of people are at

the moment so that's like a good

transition of like going into what I

actually do now I graduated from Cornell

about five years ago and when I started

working at the company that I am working

at right now it was more heavily reliant

on

um kind of like the r d side of medical

devices so I would be very involved in

actually developing the products but

more recently I would say in the last

two years I've shifted to more into like

managing the products that are already

out there identifying the scope of where

we can improve them and then as from

like a technical standpoint laying out a

plan of action okay these are the

improvements that can actually be done

how do we make this happen making sure

that we're following all the regulatory

FDA guidelines because of course it is

the healthcare industry

um and then also being more Hands-On

with meeting with different clients

going to different hospital sites

obviously you know for confidentiality

purposes I can't give you guys like the

details so a lot of this may seem a

little vague but I'm trying to be like

as educational as I can maybe for

someone who's thinking of going into BME

as a career this is generally like what

you can do like as you progress in your

career the best part about this field

that I like is you can really like mold

it to what you like to do and what you

don't like to do it's not necessary that

if you hate let's say chemistry for

example you have to be stuck in a lab

doing you know that kind of work that's

not what it is you can literally like

Branch out and make a career for

yourself with the things that you enjoy

doing so with that said today I am

heading up to Canada and we are going on

a site visit

um this is a client that we've been

working very closely with again we're

going to help them set up develop some

experimental protocols do some lab work

and all that fun stuff and and like I

said like this is a part of the job

itself where we're trying to identify

the scope of improvement for our product

lines that are already there and from

like a technical standpoint how can we

make it happen so that you know we stay

up to date with the current technology

and we as like a medical device company

are also improving as we move forward

because ultimately you know we want to

create really cool

um Healthcare Tech and before we head

out you know the one thing that I always

carry with me and this is literally like

it's one box stays with me in my car

itself it is our dossier perfume they

come in these like really compact boxes

and today we are rocking the fiery

leather and rhubarb flavor

flavor fragrance

um but as you can see it comes in like

these really travel friendly bottles

very compact religious like literally

snaps on and I love you know the entire

fragrance of this perfume I carried in I

carry one in my car just to have as like

a backup I have one at home I have one

at work and if you guys want to check

these out these are luxury fragrances at

affordable prices

um you can use the code in the

description for a discount at checkout

thank you

[Music]

that was an exhausting morning but I

finally finished up some lab work and uh

now I'm going to go get lunch and during

that time I'll also like kind of respond

to emails that have been going on in the

office since I couldn't get that done

today in the morning I'll get some

paperwork done for like the lab work

that I did today again like everything

has to be documented this is like one of

the things that not a lot of biomedical

Engineers share but every little thing

that you do has to be documented some

students or well some Engineers do it in

like a lab notebooks some do it in

notion you can do it online or you have

like certain Sops and paperwork that you

have to fill out for like according to

your company or your University but in

some way or another the whole point is

it needs to be documented each and every

step that you did so if there are any

improvements we can do that if there are

any mistakes we can catch that on for

later I'm super hungry uh there's this

nice um Indian place that I found in

Waterloo it's about 30 minutes of a

drive so we're gonna go head there and

uh have lunch and I need to come back

here around like four we'll work for

another two more hours need to get some

more meetings and presentations done

with folks over here in Canada out of

the way and I'll see you guys in a bit

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

we're back and today has been an amazing

day everything that did not work

yesterday just

whatever we fixed basically last night

that experiment worked fabulous I was

able to get the training done we got

like another experiment set up and

everyone's happy we got a bunch of

meetings out of the way a lot of this

involves

um uh defining certain protocols that

our clients can use that work for them

and that also kind of work with the

technology we have to offer right

um so all good it's about 1 pm right now

in the afternoon I'm pulling out of the

parking lot and it's time to go home

back to Ithaca it was stressful at times

for sure like just like troubleshooting

at unexpected uh milestones and time

points can be challenging but that's

part of the job as an engineer as a

biomedical engineer that's what you're

paid to do essentially

um and I'll catch you guys in a little

bit uh gonna fuel up get some lunch

along the way and I'll see you guys in a

bit

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

thank you

all right guys so that wraps up well

kind of like the meetings that I had

with some of the students and honestly

it's such a pleasure to talk to them and

just kind of like

help them in their own study abroad

Journeys if you guys are interested in

the mentorship programs the link will be

in the description below it's through

Incognito blueprints check it out

extremely useful no honestly the

students that have applied for the fall

2023 intake we've gotten acceptances

from Cornell Colombia early decisions

um Brown Duke were wait listed on

Harvard and Princeton so that's coming

very soon

um Carnegie Mellon uc's what not both

for undergrad grad PhD students with

tremendous amount of funding so it's

really something that can help shape

your future but I'm gonna wrap up the

video here I hope you guys enjoyed that

day in the life of a biomedical engineer

um and let me know if you have any

questions based on like the work that I

told you guys about I'd be happy to

answer them in the comments below uh but

we are now here to do question of the

day today's question is going to be from

last videos

um comments which is

um can I get an RA in the first year of

undergrad and how much are the pay areas

like in Arizona so I'm not gonna lie

it's a little difficult to get

um research assistantship positions in

the first semester because with the

process what it looks like is you have

to approach professors and they like to

kind of talk to you in person maybe see

what your skill set is like and this is

realistically done when you're on campus

when you've had the chance to maybe take

a class in the first semester of that

Professor build a working relationship

and then ask for that ra position I'm

not saying it's impossible some students

have but it's extremely unlikely that

you'll be able to secure an RA position

as an international student in the first

semester it's more possible from the

second semester onwards and the P let's

take

um let's say ASU for example will be

somewhere between 13 to 15 dollars per

hour after taxes it'll be about 12

dollars per hour and that's like a good

range to kind of keep yourself in

um and kind of like a follow-up question

to this a lot of students ask if you

kind of are allowed to work 20 hours on

campus

um can you show this on your like as

proof of funds and no you cannot so your

I20 when you get it for your F1 Visa the

amount that's on that I20 the dollar

amount you have to show that as liquid

funds you cannot say that I will

get to this amount after I start working

in college the amount that you earn in

college as a student can be used towards

living expenses your rent food other

miscellaneous things but um it's not as

a proof of funds thing all right so

that's all that I had for you guys in

this video like the video subscribe to

the channel if you're new and I will see

you guys in the next one bye

[Music]