PEC EPE Biomedical study plan

Map the full Biomedical Engineering domain into a personal topic inventory covering anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, biomaterials, bioinstrumentation, and medical imaging, and tag each topic as strong, partial, or unknown

Define the scope boundaries between physiology-driven content and engineering-driven content so later weeks can be sequenced by dependency

Establish a weekly study cadence of three 2-hour blocks (one for reading, one for problem sets, one for recall testing) and reserve a recurring review slot

Build a formula and units reference sheet for pressure, flow, compliance, impedance, and dose that will be extended each week

Explain cardiovascular and respiratory physiology quantitatively, including cardiac output, Poiseuille flow, airway resistance, and gas exchange gradients

Compute hemodynamic quantities such as mean arterial pressure, vascular resistance, and compliance from given values without reference material

Relate respiratory mechanics to ventilator and oxygen-delivery device behavior

Identify the physiology assumptions that break down in diseased or pediatric states

Compare metal, ceramic, polymer, and composite biomaterials on mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, and degradation pathways

Apply biocompatibility and host-response concepts to predict failure modes of an implanted device

Select a sterilization method for a given device and justify the choice against material and packaging constraints

Distinguish ISO 10993 biological evaluation categories and when each test type is triggered

Analyze static and dynamic biomechanics problems involving bone, soft tissue, joints, and gait

Apply beam and torsion models to orthopedic fixation and prosthetic loading cases

Interpret stress-strain behavior of tissue and identify yield, fatigue, and viscoelastic effects

Connect biomechanical loading to device design limits and safety factors

Trace signal flow through a bioinstrumentation chain from electrode to analog-to-digital conversion

Calculate gain, CMRR, and filter cutoffs for ECG and EMG front-end designs

Diagnose common artifacts including motion, powerline interference, and electrode polarization

Specify amplifier and electrode requirements for a low-amplitude biopotential measurement

Compare imaging modalities on physical principle, resolution, contrast mechanism, and radiation dose

Compute basic parameters such as CT Hounsfield values, ultrasound attenuation, and MRI relaxation timing

Explain safety limits for ionizing radiation, acoustic output, and magnetic field exposure

Match clinical questions to the appropriate imaging modality and justify the tradeoff

Integrate physiology, materials, biomechanics, instrumentation, and imaging into full-device case analyses

Work through device lifecycle topics including risk management, verification and validation, and regulatory pathways

Practice structured elimination on multi-step integrated questions under time pressure

Close remaining gaps flagged in the week 1 inventory and the week 4 error log

Consolidate all reference sheets into a single pre-exam review document of no more than four pages

Rehearse weak topics using spaced repetition across the three highest-error areas

Complete two full-length timed simulations and analyze error patterns by subtopic

Finalize an exam-day strategy covering pacing, flagged-question handling, and unit-checking habits