Pacemakers, imaging equipment, surgery, anesthesia are just some of the few innovations enabled by biomedical engineering. This story will explore how USC Viterbi Student, Rose Sifuentes, plans to use her mechanical engineering degree to advance the biomedical engineering field.
Rose, a Junior at USC, discovered her love for biomedical engineering at a young age. With a deep interest in physics, math, and biology, she found herself studying mechanical engineering at USC and conducting research in a biology-focused lab. Combined with Rose’s background as a hospital volunteer, Rose began to realize that she could turn her passion for healthcare and service into a career in biomedical engineering which also combined her math and physics skills.
To Rose, “biomedical engineering is a bridge of varying STEM fields that combines my passion for biology and innovation”. Although she is a mechanical engineering student now, Rose is hoping to use resources such as student organizations and professional societies at USC to help her delve into biomedical engineering. With programs like the Progressive Degree Program (PDP), Rose is hoping to get her master’s in biomedical engineering from USC after completing her bachelor’s in mechanical engineering.
Rose also completed a year of research at USC Dornsife from 2022 – 2023, specializing in nuclear membrane organization and using fluorescent proteins for sensing applications. This allowed Rose to establish a basis that will make her an exceptional candidate for biomedical engineering jobs or graduate school. This goes to show that by utilizing her resources, research, and USC-provided opportunities, Rose can set up a career in biomedical engineering using her mechanical engineering degree!
