Medical Engineering

Degree Programmes: A female student holding a piece of equipment.

Medical Engineering (BEng/MEng)

A model bone with an instrument attached

Medical Engineering is the application of Engineering principles to the medical field. Examples range from the design of artificial joints, development and testing of new medical equipment, to calculating the time of death of human corpses. Students in Medical Engineering must develop a solid foundation in Engineering principles in addition to understanding the human body. The first two years of the scheme involve the acquisition of knowledge of various engineering disciplines accompanied by anatomy and physiology. The latter stages of the scheme will see the transfer of these techniques to various clinical fields. The Medical Engineering degree scheme is in partnership with the School of Medicine. Selected candidates at the end of the scheme may be considered for transfer to the medical degree offered by School Of Medicine.

Scheme Structure

Medical Engineering is a new and distinct area of university study. The degree, which is in collaboration with the School of Medicine, is designed to appeal to students who wish to combine classical engineering training with a medical application. The aim of the scheme is to produce a highly competent engineer who could pursue a career either in clinical/bioengineering or engineering fields outside medicine.

Further information on the Mechanical Engineering degree schemes

BEng

Full time - 3 years
Sandwich - 4 years

MEng

Full time - 4 years
Sandwich - 5 years

Employment

A running man wearing motion capture equipment

There are three potential career routes. Clinical engineering involves the design, development and maintenance of electronic equipment for medical applications. Examples include equipment associated with anaesthetics, rehabilitation, and medical imaging. Another career path is bioengineering which involves, predominantly, mechanical based engineering principles applied to the design of medical equipment commonly seen in the orthopaedic and rehabilitation fields. The third career option involves either the healthcare industry or industry in general since the structure of the programme provides a basis for conventional engineering. There are opportunities for selected students to enter the medical degree scheme run by the School of Medicine on graduating from this scheme.

Research

Medical Engineering student examining a patient's arm

Teaching is supported by active research within the School. A wide range of research is currently being undertaken, including: orthopaedics; dynamics of blunt and sharp implements and their possibility to cause injury; children's head injuries; human motion analysis; cardiovascular engineering; medical imaging; sports biomechanics.