Learning medicine through modern technologies
Medical technology is always advancing, but medical students aren’t given enough opportunities to learn how new and potential technologies can help solve clinical challenges. The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of bridging this gap with unique clerkships for its fourth-year students.
Last year, Dr. Anna Budde, an Assistant Professor from the Department of Anesthesiology, and Dr. Paul Iaizzo, a Professor from the Department of Surgery, began offering a one month clerkship, Introduction to Medical Device Innovation (ANES 7601) with IEM. “At the start of the clerkship, the students participate in a shadowing experience with industry representatives. The students subsequently receive education from the Medical Valuation Laboratory which equips them to perform a basic marketability assessment on a proposed medical device,” says Budde. “Utilizing access to the Bakken Medical Device Center, students then create a prototype of a proposed novel medical device.”
To Budde, the ANES 7601 clerkship gives students crucial medical device experience before they enter their residency. “Students in medical school have very limited exposure to medical device innovation,” says Budde. “Knowing enough to understand what is possible in the medical device world equips them to connect with engineers who can bring their ideas to reality.”
The four-week ANES 7601 clerkship also gives medical students exposure to medical device innovation without the long commitment involved in pursuing an additional degree. “We recognized that not everyone can commit to another year,” says Tyler Gathman, who helped Budde and Iaizzo develop the clerkship. Gathman would know: he successfully completed the Medical Doctor/Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering program, which adds a year to the normal four-year medical school program.
Another clerkship at the University that integrates modern technology to medical school education is From Medical Imaging to 3D Printing & Virtual Reality (RAD 7777). “The clerkship provides an overview of how to use medical imaging data to create digital 3D models based on patient-specific anatomy and pathology,” says Dr. Yu-Hui Huang, course co-director and Radiologist at the University and Hennepin Healthcare. “After working on sample cases, students engage in real clinical scenarios, developing virtual 3D models from patient imaging. These models may be 3D printed to aid the clinical team and patients in understanding the condition and treatment options.”
(Left to right) 3D life-size and 2x size print of a neonatal intrapericardial teratoma created by Andrew Wang, a recent RAD7777 student who worked on a pediatric cardiology case.
According to Huang, the RAD 7777 clerkship helps students grasp both the strengths and limitations of advanced medical technology. “Healthcare is evolving rapidly, and so is the integration of technology to optimize and personalize patient care,” she explains. “Early exposure allows students to recognize when specific technologies are beneficial and to determine the most suitable imaging modality for different treatment plans, ultimately enhancing clinical decision-making.”
Students from RAD7777 working at the Health Sciences Library Makerspace
For clerkship students, diverse perspectives drive innovation and growth. Luke Sabal, who participated in both the RAD 7777 clerkship and MD/MS Augustine Fellowship program and also helped develop the curriculum for the ANES 7601 clerkship, says that “being able to effectively communicate with both clinicians and engineers is an enduring skill that will benefit me greatly moving forward.” For Andrew Wang, another RAD 7777 student, the clerkship “expanded my medical training beyond the traditional curriculum, providing me with a valuable skill set through hands-on learning of 3D-printing's core principles and enabling me to contribute to patient care in a new way.”
The University’s many 3D and VR labs make these clerkships possible. Labs like the Health Sciences Library Makerspace, Health Sciences Library Virtual Reality Studio, Bakken Medical Devices Center, Visible Heart® Laboratories, and the 3D Printing and Imaging Laboratory at the Department of Radiation Oncology embrace collaboration between different clinicians, faculty, and students, helping drive the University to the forefront of medical training.
