This topic brings up an interesting point, especially when students are being worn thin between classes and internships/co-ops. In the end, I believe that all students should get experience working in their field of study. I agree that the colleges should try to build a better co-op program for the students but I also believe that there should be more options from the employers too. Coming from a Veterinary background, I know all about the dedication you need to have for your future goal. I had thousands of vet hours, but they were all volunteer vet hours. I would shadow under one person, and contact them directly to fit a few hours per week into my schedule. An option like this might be beneficial to the student that has a lot on their plate with classes. Yes, it was unpaid, but I gained loads of experience while showing dedication to the career field, and a few hours of experience every week added up to a lot of hours per year.

I'd lean more toward more co-ops or longer internships, due to the multiple years of experience employer often expect for a lot of jobs. For students, co-op can give the student the required experience while being able to juggle both full-time enrollment and full time-work at the same time. This also allows students easier access to potential permanent employment offers or working with people that can become part of their network later. How would you design credit or courses, so work adds experience as well-being educational over a semester?

I think there is certainly an unreasonable amount of pressure placed on students to differentiate themselves as much as possible from other candidates. As you mention, this is to the detriment of students mental well being trying to balance gaining "experience" from internships and co-ops but also education. I think this pressure is is not placed upon the student from their institution, but is more so placed on them from the ever growing expectations of industry for candidates to be "best fit" for a role. I've seen cases where students are participating in a internship, working in a lab, and pursuing coursework all at the same time. This more than likely has a large detrimental affect on these students mental health as they are constantly bombarded with work and have little to no time for personal activities or well being practices. I think the best course of action would be to flesh out school programs such as coops or actual coursework with content that is more practical to industry and less emphasis on theory and problems. And when I say problems I don't mean problem solving as I believe that is a critical part of being a biomedical engineer, but problems that exist just for the purpose of checking off boxes for a courses curriculum. 

The topic of this discussion is experience vs education, so I pose a new question to continue the discussion further, do you believe that industry places more importance on education or experience, or are they valued equally? If one is valued more, why do you think that is, and is it justified that it is that way. Lastly, is it better to pursue a higher form of education (masters, PhD) or to pursue practical and applicable work experience (internships, co-ops)?

Is it reasonable to expect students to manage both a full academic course load and significant professional work experience?

• I have gotten to know people who are working full-time but taking some classes. Most (and I) agree that practical experience outranks most academic teachings.
• I have gained much more experience and retainable knowledge in the field in six months (as a co-op) than I did in four years in college. Working with actual equipment and seeing your work take effect in the real world made me appreciate the time my coworkers took to teach me, and I have become more well-rounded & prepared because of it.
• At school, I have learned a lot, but not nearly enough to prepare me (or anyone) out of the gate. The "experience" we gain in college is mostly generalized to suit most industries, but it does not grant students the practical knowledge that is required to succeed in industry. 
  • i.e., specific software and machine experience, networking, certifications
• It is not reasonable for students to be expected to work and study full-time simultaneously. It will drive them into a direction of stress and confusion, especially during a period when they should be able to step back and think about their academic & professional trajectory.

Is there something you think colleges or industry can do to help foster early career development while also focusing on student well-being?

• Your point regarding modifying the curriculum to have more hands-on experience is something I would wholeheartedly champion. Schools should offer more streamlined avenues of experience through co-ops and internships that integrate specifically what they have learned in class. That way, they not only apply what they have learned with little to no learning curve, but also integrate themselves professionally.
  • This will allow students a direct pipeline to the company, making them more fit to be hired out of school.
• Companies can also improve by offering job-specific training through universities. Students can take these courses and learn about their preferred specialties. Students can then become certified at no additional cost, as their employer will pay for their certification.
  • If employers can guarantee their young employees' success, they will have less turnover and better performance from the students and the company as a whole.

As an undergrad student with no industry experience, my perspective is based off of what I have heard from others. I remember being in a seminar where the professor brought in a past student who is currently working in the industry. They asked what the most valuable class they took while in college that applies to their job, and they said that there was not a class that they could think of that applied to their job and that everything they learned for their job was taught to them there. Although I know that these classes are setting us up with the knowledge we need for the industry, it seems that if there was more emphasis on a co-op program or on making sure the classes emphasis more of the essential information that will be useful. It is scary to think that all the course load we take on is not enough to equip us for the workforce. On the other hand, I think you learn about more in college than just information. I think if you do college right, then you learn life skills that will be applied to the industry. For example, you acquire a work ethic that should carry into the industry. As to @jacobchabuel questions, I think the industry puts more emphasis on experience and what you can fill a resume with rather than education. I agree with this emphasis because I think experience teaches a lot more than education.