RE: UNDERGRADUATE UPDATES
Dear BME Undergraduates,
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a relaxing break, and that the spring semester is off to a great start! While we are still remote, we hope to see some of you back on campus for research or senior design! Below, please see some updates and information regarding this semester, our combined degree program, internship opportunities, and the fall semester.
SPRING SEMESTER
For students enrolled in classes with a face-to-face component (largely senior design sections), you should have received an email dated 01/06/2021, with the subject “Subject: COVID-19 Testing Required to Return to Campus” with instructions regarding your return. This email was sent by student health, NOT BME or SOE. This is what your class will look like if it has a face-to-face component:
For students returning for research, your PI will submit the necessary paperwork on your behalf, and you should receive follow-up instructions once approved.
As a reminder, nobody is required to be on campus and nobody will be penalized for not participating in any on- campus activities! Participation is completely voluntary, and alternative remote activities will be provided.
Students engaged in research activities have to undergo all approval processes including frequent COVID-19 testing. In addition to the rules described in the January 6th email, you must also abide by the rules of the BME dept. Everyone’s health, safety, and productivity depends on each of us. The BME policies and guidelines will be shared with you by your PI/senior design mentor prior to your return to campus.
This semester, the Pass/No Credit option will again be available. However, the withdrawal period will not be extended, so please weigh your options carefully.
COMBINED DEGREE PROGRAM
At the end of junior year, students will have the option to apply to the BME Combined Degree Program (BME-CDP). This program allows you to start taking graduate courses for the Master’s degree while finishing your senior year. Students can pursue either a Master’s of Science degree, which involves an archived, research-based thesis or a Master’s of Engineering, which includes a capstone paper and presentation that can be original research or a review or previous research. A medical device certificate can also be added to these degrees, which involves taking all of the electives in approved, medical device courses, and writing a business plan for a new medical device. Information of the combined program can be found on page 37 of the undergraduate handbook: https://bme.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/Handbook.pdf Another great resource is Mr. Lawrence Stromberg, the graduate administrator, who can be reached at les42@soe.rutgers.edu with questions. He will be sending all the BME undergraduates an email later this spring about the BME-CDP, including an application and overview.
CO-OPS AND INTERNSHIPS
When appropriate, I try to share all relevant information related to co-ops, internships and even full-time jobs (largely sent to seniors only). Recently, two major opportunities were distributed:
• Ethicon: students were asked to please send me their resumes if they applied online, so that resumes could be shared with our point person in the company. This person is not the hiring manager, but wants to have an idea of who from Rutgers is applying in order to build a more formal partnership. Due to the volume of emails I have received, I cannot respond to each one acknowledging receipt. However, the actual application is the online one. If you have not sent to me yet, please do so by Friday Feb 5
• Medtronic: this opportunity is for JUNIORS or for CDP students. If you attended the info session and/or viewed. As a reminder, you can receive technical elective credits for these experiential learning opportunities. A 3 month internship can count for 3 credits, and a 6-month co-op can count for 6 credits. There is a form in the handbook that must be filled out BEFORE the internship or co-op, and sent to me for a signature and Ms. Linda for a SPN.
I also learned about this program at Pfizer. Please see link to Summer Student Worker Program and apply directly if
interested: https://host.pcrecruiter.net/pcrbin/jobboard.aspx?uid=pfizer.atriumstaffing
FALL SEMESTER
You all have heard the news by now that Rutgers is making plans to incorporate more face-to-face learning in the fall. As of now, we do not have additional details on these plans or how they will be executed. Further, you all should have received the survey from Dr. Shreiber polling your thoughts and opinions on returning to campus, and we are using that information in our planning, however, the final decisions are largely out of our hands. We are doing our best to make a Plan A (and B, C, D….) to accommodate students who wish to be in person as well as those who cannot, all while keeping safety a top priority. Since these decisions are dependent on factors outside of the university, there are a lot of variables at the moment which makes concrete planning difficult.
MEET YOUR UNDERGRADUATE DIRECTOR: OFFICE HOURS
I will be scheduling office hours at different times on Fridays, to allow as many students as possible the chance to meet with me if needed. These are open hours so if you wish to discuss a personal matter, please schedule an individual appointment with me. Please join me at the following office hours this month:
Friday February 5th at 1:00 pm EST
https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/98230439581?pwd=MjU3d1BMUjZpUEFETHBVSWMranVIQT09
Friday Feb 19th at 10:00 am EST
https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/96462232548?pwd=QkwxVFRaZWtMVXpWRk1UaG1MZU5lZz09
Enjoy the rest of your semester, and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns!
Regards,
Kristen Labazzo