What is biomedical diagnostics?
Biomedical diagnostics studies the science, technology and business of how we diagnose and treat disease today and in the future. Biomedical diagnostics are used to obtain information about a patient, which can be used to determine many different aspects of disease, health, treatments, predisposition for certain health conditions and other outcomes that can manage a patient’s health and well-being. Through the use of biomedical diagnostics, more personalized treatment can be provided and, in combination with biomedical therapy, can provide better treatment for patients.
In Arizona State University’s Master of Science in biomedical diagnostics online program, you’ll learn about the development and application of the tests and devices used by health practitioners every day to detect diseases and other medical conditions. These advancements help improve quality of care and access to health care coverage for patient populations.
What skills can I learn in a biomedical diagnostics master’s program?
- Analytical thinking
There has been a shift in the biomedical diagnostics field from diagnosis via visual, tactile and audio inspection to molecular detection. Whereas traditional medical testing can be used to examine a population, molecular detection methods are tailored to the individual and search for indicators particular to a person's specific molecular makeup. This modern approach is called precision medicine, and it requires superior analytical thinking skills.
If you’re working in biomedical diagnostics, you must be able to dig through detailed data points and identify trends, patterns, outliers and other unique qualities of information sets. You then use this data to gain important insights that can inform the development of a medical device, its application or care plans for individuals.
Similar to how the rise of big data has created more personalized products and services, molecular detection and similar advancements are providing custom-fit health care solutions. Through lab work and courses such as Principles of Diagnostic Technology: Immunoassays, which examines the various detection methods of antibodies, an MS in biomedical diagnostics can help you learn the analytical and technical skills necessary to develop innovative, custom-fit health care, whether you work for a provider, diagnostic technology manufacturer or pharmaceutical sales team.
- Communication
Communication skills are essential in every potential career path in the biomedical diagnostics field.
- A career in biomedical diagnostics requires the ability to work well in teams.
- You must be able to break down larger projects into smaller deliverables, coordinate assignments among team members and track and measure your progress.
- Policymakers will need to present persuasive arguments for the changes they wish to see.
- Clinical laboratory managers will need to coordinate teams.
- Business development directors will need to make strong cases for the strategies they wish to implement.
Through an MS in biomedical diagnostics program, you can learn how to present your findings and ideas constructively and collaborate well with others through research and lab work requirements. You can also improve your verbal and written skills, which are useful when drafting reports, case studies, memos and emails.
- Problem solving
Stagnation is rare in the biomedical devices world, and professionals in the field often face new challenges.s. Because of the ongoing development of technology and changing health needs, there are always new challenges to overcome.
The MS in biomedical diagnostics program teaches you how to face complex puzzles with confidence. It aims to show you how to look at a problem from all sides and recognize that there may not always be just one solution.
The program also helps you sharpen your problem-solving skills for the workplace. In the final culminating project, you’ll have the opportunity to solve a problem in collaboration with a diagnostics company or organization. This hands-on project allows you to use many of the skills developed throughout the program.
Whether you're working with colleagues in a lab or reporting to the director of quality assurance at a large technology conglomerate, you need skills in conflict resolution to succeed. All colleagues on a project may not agree, or company leadership may have ideas that take your work in a new direction, but being able to disagree constructively and set forth an updated plan for success can help overcome these challenges.
- How to learn
Growth as a professional in biomedical diagnostics depends not on memorizing rote facts and figures, but on the nuances of how to learn. People who make progress toward their career goals grasp how to develop a deeper understanding of their field. They reject the notion that anything is set in stone and instead seek to find results for themselves. They constantly review their methods, seeing if there are ways they can improve their work, lab processes and business approaches.
Carl Yamashiro, associate research professor from Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions, recalls a former student who embraced delving into learning to make progress toward her goals.
"This student lacked self-confidence and often did not push herself to take on challenges head-on," Yamashiro said. "After several one-on-one meetings focusing on her learning habits and work ethic, she was able to perform her work without fear of failure and to submit high-quality assignments."
By the time she graduated, she commented that the major accomplishment of her time in the program was that she had "learned how to learn," something that was not accomplished during her undergraduate studies.
Learning how to learn is a skill that can serve you well in biomedical diagnostics. A commitment to in-depth, immersive and continuous learning expands your perspectives, strengthens your existing abilities and develops new skills. In an innovative field like biomedical diagnostics, a commitment to constant learning helps you stay relevant and competitive as a professional.
- Decision making
If you work in biomedical diagnostics, you may be presented with questions such as:
- What's the optimal way for a testing device to function?
- How can you change a payment model to be more accessible for a patient population?
- How can a hypothesis most effectively be tested?
Coming up with satisfactory answers to these questions requires fine-tuned decision-making skills, which an MS in biomedical diagnostics degree can help you develop. As you learn about laboratory support management, health economics and payment models, immunology, diagnostic technology and other subjects, you can also study organizational hierarchies and how decisions are made in a variety of settings. Additionally, you’ll gain an understanding of the information groups and data that need to be taken into account to develop biomedical diagnostics approaches.
With these skills, you can make informed, confident decisions throughout your career, whether you're working in regulatory affairs, business development, research and development support or clinical laboratory management.
Earn your biomedical diagnostics master’s from ASU Online
These are just a few of the skills that can be gained through the online Master of Science in biomedical diagnostics offered by Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions. With courses ranging from Applied Bioethics to Health Economics, Policy and Payment Models, you can develop the analytical, communication, problem-solving, learning and decision-making skills needed to succeed in your career.