Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin have launched a joint graduate certificate, Clinical Immersion in Medical Device Design, designed for working professionals in the medical device design industry. Students will master the etiquette and skills of successful clinical immersion and develop observational research techniques that are used to uncover new design opportunities. The certificate utilizes the unique resources of the Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, blending faculty expertise and the clinical setting.
Students will complete courses both online and through hands-on practical experiences in clinical simulation centers and immersive clinical environments. These experiences provide students unique opportunities to observe clinical procedures, facilitate clinician-designer interactions, and gain first-hand knowledge of how medical devices are meeting the needs of current users. Students will identify unmet needs and opportunities for innovative new products, leading to safer and improved medical devices.
“We are driven to develop medical device professionals who are confident and qualified to investigate the clinical environment firsthand,” said Dr. Frank Pintar, Kern Professor and Founding Chair of the Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin Joint Department of Engineering. “Students will be challenged in this program to develop a skillset that is only possible by seeing, smelling, hearing, and noticing subtle cues directly from a device user.”
This experience begins with an online “Clinical Needs Finding” course that introduces students to pre-immersion topics related to medical terminology, regulatory standards, ethnographic research, bioethics, and more. The following course, “Clinical Observation,” leads students through multiple simulation center and clinical site visits, guided by personalized assignments tailored to the specific needs of a student’s company and role. Students also complete two elective courses of their choosing within biomedical engineering and design themes.
“We are thrilled to serve the medical device industry through the expertise of our joint biomedical engineering program and partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin,” said Dr. Kristina Ropella, Opus Dean of the Opus College of Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering. “The influence of this program will be best measured by the future medical device innovations produced by our graduates.”
This 12-credit certificate is designed for the flexibility in content and timing that professionals need. Immersion experiences can be tailored to align with various medical device sectors, and coursework may be completed on a schedule determined by the student’s 12- to 18-month individualized plan. For more information, including application requirements and deadlines, visit the Graduate School’s website.
