Updating the Biomedical Engineering Curriculum in Latin America: Moving from management and maintenance to Design and Development of Medical Devices

Biomedical Engineering as an undergraduate degree in Latin America is not new. However, most programs have the objective to produce professionals dedicated to the management and maintenance of health care technology. We believe that there is an important area of opportunity in the education of engineers who are competent in the design and development of medical devices. Among the 100 programs in the region there could be a few which could stand out as providers of such professionals. This work proposes a curricular structure to fulfill these aims.