Modeling Career Paths in Biomedical Quality Engineering

Biomedical Quality Engineers (QEs) ensure that medical devices are safe, reliable, and consistent. To better understand career pathways for biomedical QEs, we (1) quantified the prevalence of QE skills in entry-level biomedical engineering (BME) job listings and (2) interviewed seven biomedical Quality Engineers with a BME bachelor’s degree. We mapped participant responses to the mechanisms in Social Cognitive Career Theory and identified common career pathways for biomedical QEs. To our surprise, over 40% of entry-level BME jobs were QE positions and 70% required QE-related skills. The interview participants were unaware of careers in QE careers as undergraduates and learned about QE while entering the job market—a surprising finding given the prevalence of entry-level QE jobs. The participants had low outcome expectations for QE careers and higher outcome expectations for research and development positions; instructors should be aware that a design-focused curriculum can bias students against QE careers. BME departments should introduce QE topics and experiences to help students make informed career decisions and be competitive in the sizable biomedical QE job market.