The mentoring and internship program is developed to provide students of the Department of Biomedical Engineering with opportunities for “real life” professional experience and to allow member organizations a professional first look at the students. These opportunities enhance students’ “hands-on” capabilities, which are vital in the workplace, and aid them in achieving their career goals. The program is also intended to smooth the student’s transition from an academic to a professional environment. The Mentoring and Internship Program is open to seniors majoring in biomedical engineering and provides them with an alternative for performing their senior design project. In addition to the in-house senior design project option, the program offers two additional options:
The Entrepreneurial Option:
In this path the student(s)/entrepreneur(s) develop their own biomedical technology-based business plan; contact prospective mentors and recruit(s) a mentor to escort their endeavor through completion; and contact prospective team members and recruits them for the duration of the project. This path culminates in participation in FIU’s business plan competition.
The Corporate Option:
In this track the students operate as a team of junior engineers and immerse themselves in a company’s environment. They are interviewed and “hired” by the hosting organization that assembles a team; the team is mentored and lead by a company person in the performance of a project assigned by the hosting organization.
