Shows
The Journey with AdmissionPrep10 Lessons from 10 Students: The Truth About Top Schools in North AmericaIn this special episode of The Journey, host Jason Yee distills the top 10 insights from his recent student interviews - offering a candid look at what life is really like at North America’s most competitive universities.From the “U of Tears” reputation at U of T to the entrepreneurial edge at Waterloo, the social heartbeat of Queen’s Engineering, and the hidden interdisciplinary gems like McMaster’s iBioMed, Jason connects the dots between student experiences, academic culture, and the evolving state of higher education.You’ll hear stories of resilience, ambition, and self-awareness—from Ivy League adm...
2025-11-0717 minThe Journey with AdmissionPrepMcMaster IBioMed - More than "Goals"Is university still worth it in today’s world? And what kind of future generation is it really shaping?In this episode of The Journey, Jason Yee sits down with Ava, a second-year student in McMaster’s ultra-competitive Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences (iBioMed) program. With only a 12% acceptance rate, the program is tough — but what makes Ava stand out isn’t just her grades, it’s her mindset.Ava shares how she shifted from chasing external goals and survival-mode metrics to focusing on reflection, purpose, and growth. Along the way, she reveals what it’s reall...
2025-08-2141 min
BrainwavesEpisode 10: Life After iBio - Accelerated MastersAre you interested in what you can do after BioMed? Do you need advice and want to explore Grad School in less than 1 year? Our episode has 2 guests, who are students in the accelerated biomedical engineering masters program, and are here to answer your questions!
2023-04-0644 min
BrainwavesEpisode 9 (Part 2): You're Hired! - The iBioMed Co-op JourneyThis is the second part series of the Brainwaves episode where we dive deep into the other 2 coop experiences and how even non-biomedical co-op experiences can help advance your career! From learning curves to new skills, listen to this podcast to gain insight into the other side...the co-op side! Whether you're a student, professor, or employer, this episode is about gaining new perspectives from our co-op students and there's so much to learn!
2022-04-1319 minBrainwavesEpisode 9 (Part 1): You're Hired! - The iBioMed Co-op JourneyFor this episode, we brought in 4 iBioMeds to share their experience with co-op! They share about learning curves, workplace dynamics, and what material in iBioMed helped them thrive in their job! Whether you are a student, employer, or somebody interested in the job prospects in the biomedical and general engineering fields, this episode is for you!
2022-04-0838 min
STEMFellowsE5: Andrew D’Elia - A Journey to Medical School at the University of TorontoAndrew D’Elia is a first-year medical student at the University of Toronto St. George Campus. Before his medical training, Andrew obtained his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical and Materials Engineering at McMaster University, where he served as the President of the Engineering Society. He is an avid student researcher and community leader, with a passion for teaching others and sharing his experiences in STEM.
Andrew took interest in the biomedical field at a young age, with a desire to contribute to the development of advanced medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions. His interest in biome...
2022-01-291h 15
BrainwavesEpisode 8: Imposter Syndrome"The exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.”
These words were spoken by none other than Albert Einstein. If you can relate to this, you may be experiencing Imposter Syndrome.
In this episode of iBioMed's Brainwaves, our hosts, Amreen (level 4, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering) and Danny (level 3, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering) speak with Dr. William Huggon, Assistant Professor with the Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour program at McMaster University.
Learn what exactly is Imposter Syndrome, what causes it and...
2022-01-2141 min
BrainwavesEpisode 7: Growing from Failure and Learning Resilience“I remember thinking, am I meant to be in this program? It took me a while to learn that my performance on a test does not define who I am. How can I grow from this instead of the failure being a stopping point?” Abby McEwan (second year iBioMed student, Health, Engineering Science and Entrepreneurship - HESE).
This is just one of the many words of wisdom shared during this episode of Brainwaves. iBioMed students and Brainwaves co-hosts, Abby and John, chat with Dr. Colin McDonald about how they've all grown from failure. Dr. McDonald is the Assoc...
2021-11-1137 min
BrainwavesEpisode 6: Back to Mac iBioMed Edition!Are you a new or returning iBioMed student? If so, this is the episode for you!
Join iBioMed Ambassadors and hosts, Yumna and Sam, as they share everything you need to know about returning to campus.
This includes:
The best places to grab a bite on or around campus
Best libraries and study spaces
How to get around Hamilton (Presto passes and bus routes)
Clubs and teams
And more!
Whether you're a new McMaster iBio student, or returning to campus after a year, there's something for everybody in this episode!
Want...
2021-10-0848 minSTEMFellowsE2: Harleen Klair - Finding Work-Life Balance as a StudentHarleen Klair is currently studying mechanical and biomedical engineering at McMaster University. She aims to find the intersection between design and STEM by getting involved in the field of prosthetics, personalized healthcare and e-health. However, she actively works to explore her interests within the arts and community involvement through roles like the Chief of Marketing in the STEM Fellowship, a design and social media lead in the uwBioTEC conference as well as a business development consultant for MGD Health ICE.
In this episode, we discuss Harleen's journey to where she is today, diversity and...
2021-10-0643 min
BrainwavesEpisode 5: Undergraduate Research as an iBioMed StudentInterested in getting into research?
Join Yumna Irfan (HESE, Level 4) and Sam Milicia (Mechatronics and BME, Level 2) as they talk about Undergraduate Research at iBioMed with Andrew D'Elia (Materials and BME, Level 3), Matana (EngPhys and Level 4) ,Anushree (Chemical and BME, Level 3) and Brendan (HESE, Level 4).
Want to know more about iBioMed?
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and visit our website.
2021-05-2052 min
BrainwavesEpisode 4: If iBioMed Programs Were CelebritiesWhat do Harry Potter's Hermione and Buzz Lightyear have in common? Find out in this month's episode!
Amreen Mander and Danny Al-Sammak, iBioMed Ambassadors and Brainwaves hosts, ask the question which celebrities would each iBioMed program be? Which iBioMed program would Shakespeare be, or what about Iron Man? This fun, yet informative podcast will take you on a journey of the iBioMed student experience and what each unique program has to offer.
Want to know more about iBioMed?
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and visit our website.
2021-03-1938 min
BrainwavesEpisode 3: Projects Beyond The ClassroomThe latest episode of Brainwaves shows how iBioMed students are getting innovative outside the classroom.
Join this month's hosts Dabeer Ahmad Abdul-Azeez (Engineering Physics and BME) and Sarah Bissola (Electrical and BME) as they chat with Lianna Genovese (Mechanical and BME) about her invention Guided Hands. Our hosts also talk to brothers John (HESE) and Matthew (Level 1 iBioMed) Milkovich. They share their inspiration behind their DIY PPE respirator.
Learn more about Genovese's invention Guided Hands
Learn more about the Milkovich brothers
2021-02-0152 min
BrainwavesEpisode 2: The Journey from iBioMed's HESE Program to Medical SchoolDid you know that two iBioMed Health, Engineering Science and Entrepreneurship (HESE) students have been accepted into Medical School? Former HESE students, Arjun Raghavan and Alex Drover, share their experience as first-year med school students. From the importance of empathy and compassion, to design thinking and team work, Arjun and Alex talk about their achievements and how HESE helped them get there!
Yumna Irfan (fourth-year HESE) and Sam Milicia (second-year Mechatronics and BME) host this month's episode. Not afraid to ask the hard questions (and some easy ones!), they get to the bottom of the med school...
2021-01-0150 min
BrainwavesEpisode 1: The Kids Are AlrightJoin our hosts Amreen Mander (Level 3 Electrical and BME) and Danny Al-Sammak (Level 2 Electrical and BME) as they discuss how current iBioMed students are adjusting to the online learning environment. Joining the discussion is Dr. Mohamed H. Bakr, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McMaster University. Dr. Bakr explains how he keeps his students motivated and provides insights on what he thinks the university experience will look like in the future.
First-year iBioMed student Abby McEwan also joins the discussion and shares her perspectives about online learning. How has this new virtual environment been for first-year i...
2020-12-0327 min
BrainwavesEpisode 0: Welcome to Brainwaves!Let's get this started! Meet the hosts of Brainwaves: Yumna, Sam, Amreen, Danny, Dabeer and Sarah. They'll be bringing you the official podcast of McMaster University's iBioMed Program. Join them on a monthly basis to learn from guest speakers and get insights into iBioMed. If you're interested in Health, Engineering, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, this is the podcast for you!
2020-11-2702 min
Comprehensive Canadian University Guide25. McMaster Engineering + iBioMedOn this episode of the Comprehensive Canadian University Guide, we feature McMaster University's Engineering and iBioMed programs. Our guests this week include Patricia, a Recruitment Representative, Sophie, a 3rd year iBioMed student, as well as Sunil, a 2nd year international student. We discuss everything from academics and student life, to internships, admissions and more! We highly recommend going to the McMaster website or email thinkeng@mcmaster.ca for more information.
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @ccugpodcast
Show Notes
(0:47) – Introduction
(9:58) – Academics
(22:40) – Extra-Curriculars / Student Life
(31:14) – Student Support and Co-o...
2020-10-2300 min