Alvin Lomibao

BS biomedical engineering '09

Occupation: Academic associate, Department of Emergency Medicine, North Shore-LIJ Health System.
Residence: Manhasset, NY

When and how did you choose your major?

My major was biomedical engineering, and I had minors in chemistry and music. I was good at science and mathematics in high school, and landed on BME as a freshman. I was amazed by the breadth of content, skills, and opportunities available to BME students, so I kept with it. At the same time, I kept a intense extracurricular load to balance out the science/technical-intensive major.

What activities were you involved in as a student and what did you gain from them?

At Rochester, I was heavily involved in SA Government and Alpha Delta Phi, as well as Class Council, Newman, and FASA. Through all of these activities, I learned a tremendous amount about leadership and management, teamwork, accountability, and professionalism. I learned how to create a budget, read resumes and interview, manage a team, program large events, run meetings, develop marketing campaigns, and most importantly, I had fun doing it!

What resources did you use on campus that you recommend current students use?

One set of resources I wish I had accessed more is the faculty in my department. They are all vested in our professional development and success, and the ones I keep in touch with have helped me hone my professional goals and career path, link me to other BME alumni, and keep me abreast of new developments at Rochester.

What do you do now and why did you choose this job?

I primarily conduct clinical research in emergency medicine –anything in our department including sepsis, ultrasound use, stroke, asthma, oncology, pediatrics, and medical education. I also program CME conferences, execute quality improvement initiatives, and manage volunteer interns. It's a 1-2 year position (currently hiring) designed for pre-health students to conduct research and get a sense of how an academic medical department runs. It is a jumping point for me as I apply for graduate school.

Where would you like to be in five years?

I would like to be pursuing my doctoral degree in biomedical engineering.

How are you still connected with the University?

A lot of ways! Some of my friends from Alpha Delt are still undergrads, so they let me know what's going on. I have other friends who are still in the Rochester area (or are at Rochester for graduate school), and I keep in touch with my mentors. I also read @Rochester every morning, the Engineering Alumni Memo every week, and the Hive, Currents, and Rochester Review when I remember. The alumni office is also a great resource for updates.