No one can know if the rapid growth of BME will continue at its current pace. All fields are susceptible to fluctuations in the economy. However, if we consider the explosion in scientific and medical knowledge of recent years, we can see that there are enormous opportunities to use that knowledge in the development of new medical devices and healthcare systems. The importance of healthcare in the U.S. appears to be increasing yearly and bodes very well for the future of biomedical engineering.