Coming Home

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

4 Responses

1. on May 30, 2010 at 2:10 PM Janet

   Dr. Nadal,

   I have a quick question –

   I’ve wondered for a while…. What is the difference between a college major in “Bio-medical science” and a major in “Bio-medical engineering” ?

   Thank you, and have a great Memorial Day weekend with your family!

   
   
2. on May 30, 2010 at 2:26 PM Gerard M. Nadal

   Hi Janet,

   The closest I have come to understanding the difference is that Biomedical Science deals with the biological/scientific aspects of medicine, while Biomedical Engineeering deals with design of treatment modalities, pharmaceuticals and their delivery systems, etc.

   Does that help any?

   Have great weekend as well!!

   
   
3. on May 30, 2010 at 3:24 PM Janet

   Yes, that helps! Forgive my ignorance, but does cloning or ESCR, or ASCR come out of a specific area of study such as those, or are there a wide variety of starting points that could lead to those areas of research? The reason I ask, is with so many high school students graduating and declaring majors for college, I hear them talking about majors such as these and I wonder where they’ll end up, career-wise. I realize there probably isn’t a pat answer for my questions but I’m curious what you think.
   Thanks again.

   
   
4. on May 30, 2010 at 3:43 PM Gerard M. Nadal

   Great Questions Janet.

   I think that it gets kinda murky, as many programs that bill themselves simply as Biology, are in reality heavily molecular and engineeering-based programs. Molecular biology is really the foundational level of understanding now, so much so that traditional disciplines such as botony, entomology, comparative anantomy, etc., have been entirely wiped out in many, many departments.

   Molecular becomes the basis for advanced training in these other areas. Many students of biology only know the plants in their salad, and have never touched a frog, a butterfly, or a beetle. It’s all changed in two decades.

   Don’t be embarassed to ask great questions. I’m glad that there are normal (non-scientist) people left in the world 😉

   
   

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