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

Crazy Medusa
2 Apr 202313:40

Summary

TLDRSaloni 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.

Mindmap

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

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dude

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[Music]

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and that is World prep let's go to work

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[Music]

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all right guys so

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I feel like it's been a while since I

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kind of like spoke to you guys like you

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

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from the very beginning now for everyone

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who is new to the channel my name is

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saloni Verma and I am a biomedical

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engineer

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um I graduated from Cornell University I

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work in Upstate New York and through

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this YouTube channel we talk about

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college admissions how International

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students could get into top ivy league

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universities Elite colleges and every

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now and then I like to rant about the

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lack of views and likes on the channel

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as well

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um but I thought that in this video I

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will kind of like take you along with me

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throughout the day uh show you what a

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day in the life of a biomedical engineer

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looks like and touch a little bit on

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kind of like the tech layoffs that have

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been going on now I would be quite

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

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talking about but for anyone who isn't

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up to speed here is a little snapshot of

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what's going on 150

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000 Tech workers have been laid off in

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2022 alone Amazon today announcing it's

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going to cut 18 000 workers

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so I'm not going to bore you guys with

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like the big story of what happened but

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in the last few years companies over

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hired they thought that they would need

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

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they're starting to lay those people off

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because there just isn't enough amount

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of work for all of those over hires that

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they did

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um so as International students why

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should you be worried and how much

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should you be worried is the question of

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the hour and I would say that a lot of

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the students that are graduating right

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now that are already here are facing

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like the biggest hurdle of the tech

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layoffs in general

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um if you see kind of like the growth

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and these situations that have happened

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in the past these Tech layoffs don't

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don't like go on for years and years and

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years they ultimately stop and

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um if someone is planning to come to the

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US to study there's a good chance that

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by the time you come here finish your

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degree and graduate this situation won't

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be how it is right now so from like a

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future prospective international student

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standpoint I feel like it's a pretty

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safe bet to choose us as you're

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continuing further education and

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biomedical in general like for me for

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example I have variety of skill sets all

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the way from like lab work I have some

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programming skills like I've taught

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myself how to do Matlab python

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JavaScript

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some amount of coding that's required

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work on medical devices work on the

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hardware as well as the software side of

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things so if you like in that sense

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because biomedical engineering is so

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closely related to healthcare it's not

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being affected by the tech layoffs as

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bad as other departments like

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engineering management software

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Engineers these kind of people are at

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the moment so that's like a good

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transition of like going into what I

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actually do now I graduated from Cornell

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about five years ago and when I started

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working at the company that I am working

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at right now it was more heavily reliant

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on

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um kind of like the r d side of medical

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devices so I would be very involved in

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actually developing the products but

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more recently I would say in the last

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two years I've shifted to more into like

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managing the products that are already

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out there identifying the scope of where

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we can improve them and then as from

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like a technical standpoint laying out a

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plan of action okay these are the

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improvements that can actually be done

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how do we make this happen making sure

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that we're following all the regulatory

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FDA guidelines because of course it is

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the healthcare industry

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um and then also being more Hands-On

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with meeting with different clients

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going to different hospital sites

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obviously you know for confidentiality

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purposes I can't give you guys like the

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details so a lot of this may seem a

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little vague but I'm trying to be like

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as educational as I can maybe for

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someone who's thinking of going into BME

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as a career this is generally like what

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you can do like as you progress in your

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career the best part about this field

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that I like is you can really like mold

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it to what you like to do and what you

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

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if you hate let's say chemistry for

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example you have to be stuck in a lab

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doing you know that kind of work that's

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not what it is you can literally like

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Branch out and make a career for

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yourself with the things that you enjoy

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doing so with that said today I am

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heading up to Canada and we are going on

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a site visit

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um this is a client that we've been

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working very closely with again we're

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going to help them set up develop some

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experimental protocols do some lab work

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and all that fun stuff and and like I

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said like this is a part of the job

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itself where we're trying to identify

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the scope of improvement for our product

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lines that are already there and from

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like a technical standpoint how can we

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make it happen so that you know we stay

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up to date with the current technology

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and we as like a medical device company

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are also improving as we move forward

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because ultimately you know we want to

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create really cool

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um Healthcare Tech and before we head

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out you know the one thing that I always

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carry with me and this is literally like

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it's one box stays with me in my car

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itself it is our dossier perfume they

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come in these like really compact boxes

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and today we are rocking the fiery

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leather and rhubarb flavor

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flavor fragrance

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um but as you can see it comes in like

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these really travel friendly bottles

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very compact religious like literally

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snaps on and I love you know the entire

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fragrance of this perfume I carried in I

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carry one in my car just to have as like

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a backup I have one at home I have one

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at work and if you guys want to check

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these out these are luxury fragrances at

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affordable prices

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um you can use the code in the

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description for a discount at checkout

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thank you

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[Music]

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that was an exhausting morning but I

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finally finished up some lab work and uh

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now I'm going to go get lunch and during

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that time I'll also like kind of respond

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to emails that have been going on in the

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office since I couldn't get that done

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today in the morning I'll get some

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paperwork done for like the lab work

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that I did today again like everything

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has to be documented this is like one of

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the things that not a lot of biomedical

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Engineers share but every little thing

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that you do has to be documented some

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students or well some Engineers do it in

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like a lab notebooks some do it in

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notion you can do it online or you have

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like certain Sops and paperwork that you

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have to fill out for like according to

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your company or your University but in

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some way or another the whole point is

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it needs to be documented each and every

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step that you did so if there are any

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improvements we can do that if there are

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any mistakes we can catch that on for

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later I'm super hungry uh there's this

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nice um Indian place that I found in

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Waterloo it's about 30 minutes of a

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drive so we're gonna go head there and

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uh have lunch and I need to come back

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here around like four we'll work for

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another two more hours need to get some

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more meetings and presentations done

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with folks over here in Canada out of

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

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[Music]

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thank you

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[Music]

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we're back and today has been an amazing

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day everything that did not work

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yesterday just

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whatever we fixed basically last night

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that experiment worked fabulous I was

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able to get the training done we got

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like another experiment set up and

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everyone's happy we got a bunch of

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meetings out of the way a lot of this

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involves

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um uh defining certain protocols that

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our clients can use that work for them

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and that also kind of work with the

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technology we have to offer right

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

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in the afternoon I'm pulling out of the

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parking lot and it's time to go home

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back to Ithaca it was stressful at times

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for sure like just like troubleshooting

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at unexpected uh milestones and time

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points can be challenging but that's

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part of the job as an engineer as a

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biomedical engineer that's what you're

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paid to do essentially

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um and I'll catch you guys in a little

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bit uh gonna fuel up get some lunch

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

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bit

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[Music]

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thank you

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[Music]

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thank you

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all right guys so that wraps up well

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kind of like the meetings that I had

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with some of the students and honestly

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it's such a pleasure to talk to them and

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just kind of like

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help them in their own study abroad

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Journeys if you guys are interested in

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the mentorship programs the link will be

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in the description below it's through

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Incognito blueprints check it out

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extremely useful no honestly the

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students that have applied for the fall

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2023 intake we've gotten acceptances

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from Cornell Colombia early decisions

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um Brown Duke were wait listed on

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Harvard and Princeton so that's coming

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very soon

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um Carnegie Mellon uc's what not both

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for undergrad grad PhD students with

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tremendous amount of funding so it's

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really something that can help shape

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your future but I'm gonna wrap up the

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video here I hope you guys enjoyed that

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day in the life of a biomedical engineer

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um and let me know if you have any

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questions based on like the work that I

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told you guys about I'd be happy to

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answer them in the comments below uh but

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we are now here to do question of the

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day today's question is going to be from

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last videos

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um comments which is

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um can I get an RA in the first year of

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undergrad and how much are the pay areas

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like in Arizona so I'm not gonna lie

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it's a little difficult to get

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um research assistantship positions in

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the first semester because with the

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process what it looks like is you have

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to approach professors and they like to

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kind of talk to you in person maybe see

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what your skill set is like and this is

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realistically done when you're on campus

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when you've had the chance to maybe take

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a class in the first semester of that

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Professor build a working relationship

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and then ask for that ra position I'm

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not saying it's impossible some students

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have but it's extremely unlikely that

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you'll be able to secure an RA position

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as an international student in the first

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semester it's more possible from the

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second semester onwards and the P let's

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take

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um let's say ASU for example will be

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somewhere between 13 to 15 dollars per

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hour after taxes it'll be about 12

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dollars per hour and that's like a good

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range to kind of keep yourself in

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um and kind of like a follow-up question

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to this a lot of students ask if you

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kind of are allowed to work 20 hours on

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campus

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um can you show this on your like as

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proof of funds and no you cannot so your

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I20 when you get it for your F1 Visa the

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amount that's on that I20 the dollar

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amount you have to show that as liquid

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funds you cannot say that I will

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get to this amount after I start working

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in college the amount that you earn in

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college as a student can be used towards

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living expenses your rent food other

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miscellaneous things but um it's not as

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a proof of funds thing all right so

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that's all that I had for you guys in

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this video like the video subscribe to

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the channel if you're new and I will see

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you guys in the next one bye

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[Music]

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