If you’re looking for some awesome club to join in Viterbi, you should look into joining ASBME (also known as the Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering)! ASBME is a professional, academic, and social club at USC that helps mentor students throughout their biomedical engineering journey at USC and beyond. I’m currently the Vice President on ASBME’s E-board, and can’t wait to share all of the amazing opportunities ASBME has to offer.
1. Community
Having a supportive group of people in college is extremely important to getting adjusted and settled into college life. ASBME has tons of social events throughout the semester, and they are a great way to relax and connect with other biomedical engineering students. A recent social event that we hosted this semester was a Factory Tea Bar (boba) social!
2. Professional Networking and Development
While ASBME is loads of fun, a lot of our initiatives are also heavily directed towards professional development. In the fall semester, we hosted a 60+ person event called Fall Networking Night, where students were invited to network with representatives from major companies such as Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, and Abbott. ASBME does a great job of hosting these events, and it was through ASBME’s professional development series that I was able to land my first summer internship!
3. Academic and Research-Based Resources
Besides the social and professional aspect of ASBME, there is also a huge academic support system! ASBME provides members with a test bank so that they can feel prepared for their next big exam. There are also plenty of resources and events for students looking to enter a laboratory to do research on campus. For example, this past Fall Semester I hosted a research symposium for students to meet potential research advisors. Through ASBME, I was able to receive my undergraduate, paid research position on campus!
4. Makeathon
Another major benefit of joining ASBME is being able to participate in the biggest event of the year – Makeathon! This event is essentially like a hackathon, but for designers! Held in person, you get to create a medical device in 3 days that accomplishes the year’s challenge. This is a great way for engineers to use what they have learned in the classroom to construct a device with real-world applications.
5. BMES Conference
Last semester, I had the privilege of being able to attend the BMES Conference with ASBME in San Antonio, Texas. This was an all-expense paid trip, and it was such an amazing experience getting to network with biomedical engineers from all around the world. By joining ASBME, you have the opportunity to attend this event, and I would highly recommend it.
Overall, ASBME is such a wonderful, nurturing club, and I’ve found some of my best friends through it. I highly recommend this community, and encourage you to check out our website and follow us on Instagram @asbmeusc.
