Work in progress - clinic to classroom - a new paradigm for biomedical engineering education

In traditional undergraduate curricula, biomedical engineers are trained in the fundamentals of engineering and the basic sciences to solve problems and develop new technology. In traditional programs, biomedical engineers have limited exposure to the day to day challenges of practicing medical professionals. To enhance the traditional curriculum, we have introduced ldquoClinical Orthopaedics and Contemporary Researchrdquo as a one semester biomedical engineering course. Eight practicing surgeons teamed up with engineering faculty to offer a unique educational experience for biomedical engineers. Eight topics related to the nationpsilas highest priorities for musculoskeletal disease (as identified by the NIH) were studied in modules. In each module, the students first learned relevant anatomy and pathophysiology through interactive lecture materials, contemporary literature, and web-based learning tools. Following background lectures, one of eight surgeons discussed with the students during lecture time the clinical perspective of the problem and presented clinical case studies. Each module concluded with a live webcast of surgery during which time students were able to communicate with the surgeon and operating room staff in real time. From this unique experience, students are better able to effectively communicate with clinicians and are better prepared for work in the medical device industry or other fields related to clinical medicine.