Kendrick Lim completed his undergraduate education at Texas A&M University in May, during which he learned about biomedical engineering both in College Station and overseas.
Lim came to Texas A&M knowing he wanted to pursue engineering, but was unsure where to focus. He began to research each major and stumbled upon biomedical engineering.
“Medicine hadn't been something I'd thought about as a high schooler, but once I learned more about biomedical engineering and the large impact it can have on the world from a medical perspective, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to pursue,” Lim said.
Throughout his studies in the program, he said the amount of interdisciplinary learning in the department surprised him, as did the close-knit atmosphere at both the faculty and staff levels.
“Freshman year all of the students are in 300-person classes, and everyone is there for class time and then goes off to their own organizations, friends and so forth,” Lim said. “But in biomedical engineering, everyone really knows each other, and a lot of people’s best friends are in the department.”
Lim did not consider studying abroad when he started college. After hearing about various programs and what he could gain from them, Lim signed up for a four-month, faculty-led study abroad program in Bonn, Germany, the spring of his sophomore year. He said it was an amazing experience he would never forget as it gave him a chance to learn about new cultures and immerse himself in a foreign environment.
“It’s life changing to travel to another country with other students,” Lim said. “It’s just a different kind of experience. You can travel later on, but I think it’s different if you travel as a student. I don’t know when you’re going to get so much time to explore new frontiers, learn about yourself and grow as a person.”
While overseas, Lim took biomedical engineering classes to stay on track for graduation and worked with a German medical device company to innovate oxygenators and improve their efficiency.
“Working with the company, that was a more involved experience where we’re trying to do device design and it’s actually applicable to real life versus traditional classroom practice,” Lim said.
Learning how to navigate in a new country was an experience in itself. Between work and class, Lim took advantage of free time to explore and travel.
“We recognized that we weren’t going to be there after a couple of months, and honestly I don’t see when I would be able to travel for such a prolonged period of time,” Lim said. “We ended up going to 12 countries. Seeing all the different countries, foods, cultures and architecture was an unforgettable experience.
For students looking into study abroad, Lim encouraged them to research programs and funding options.
“The experience was so much more than just traveling abroad, and you can’t get that back once you’re out of college,” Lim said. “It’s very different to study abroad than travel abroad. If you can find a study abroad program where you don’t fall behind in your graduation degree plan, or if you’re okay with delaying graduation, I would do it.”
Lim starts his graduate studies in biomedical engineering at Texas A&M in the fall.