title: How to become a graduate biomedical engineer in France.
abstract: In France, to be an engineer first means to exert a profession that requires a good level of technical expertise, directly or indirectly bound to producing goods or services for the community. An engineer designs new products, has a manufacturing responsibility or is a project manager. He may discuss technologies and methods being used or argue about them if need be. That's how he differs from a lower level technician who only implements in conformance with guidelines. To be an engineer has a second meaning: earning the engineering degree after rather long training period (usually 5 years of studies, an equivalent of a Master degree), with a curriculum that includes a balance of scientific, technical and even economic studies. We stress these two definitions since they sometimes don't overlap within companies: --It is possible to get an engineering job without having an engineering degree. --The career of graduate engineers often leads them to managerial positions where technical aspects may disappear or, at least, be reduced.
authors.affiliation: Ecole Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Luminy, Biomedical Engineering Department, Luminyc ase 925, 13288 Marseillec edex 9 France. regis.rieu@esil.univmed.fr
authors.forename: Regis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rieu
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Plilion
mesh_terms: D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003479:Curriculum; D004500:Education, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005602:France; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration*