I must agree with Dr. Bill Vannah. I, too, interpreted Mr. Sujovolsky's
comments as an expression of the "saturated" market for biomechanists or
biomechanical engineers rather than an attack on any particular
organization. The USOC program and other similar research appointments are
great opportunities for master's graduates and post-docs alike to gain
valuable experience in biomechanics. But I believe a lot graduates who have
spent a good portion of their lives in school don't have the luxury or even
the resources to participate in such programs as much as they'd like to.
For those that do, I encourage you to apply for one of these programs.
However, for the recent graduate who owe in student loans or perhaps are
raising a family, it's difficult to participate in these wonderful
programs, and I'm sure there are a lot of students and graduates who would
love the opportunity to gain such experiences but cannot because of these
constraints.
Unfortunately, we are in an industry where the supply highly exceeds the
demand so opportunities are sparse. Do you think a high school senior going
into college who has considered today's engineering market as a selection
criteria for choosing a major would choose bio', electrical, mechanical, or
computer engineering? Even in some biomechanical positions alone, the
requirements are "graduate of electrical or computer engineering with some
biomechanics background preferred." I know these job postings vary in title
and requirements, but I must agree with Jack that most companies in this
field prefer someone with a mechanical, electrical, and/or computer
engineering background over someone with a purely biomechanics background.
This discussion is not something we in this industry should ignore. In
fact, I applaud Mr. Sujovolsky for initiating this discussion. We have to
continue to motivate and inspire our young graduates and students. The
future of biomechanics depends on them. Fortunately, this field is fairly
young in comparison to the other engineering industries and I can see a
growth of awareness and respect for the field of biomechanics. As a result,
there will be a trickle-down effect of funding, companies being born, and
graduates being pursued. But we must continue to support our students in
more ways than one. And discussing the issues brought about by Mr.
Sujovolsky, who expressed the thoughts and concerns of many recent
graduates, is one way we can do this.
Arnel
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