The Surgical Innovation Development Accelerator Course is the only one of its kind in the country. At Michigan Medicine, we expect our surgeons to not only operate but also shape the field of surgery. Supporting innovation allows our faculty to become leaders in developing technology that will change how we operate and care for patients.
During the course, 38 multidisciplinary proposals were submitted and 12 teams were selected to enroll in the course. At the end of the 8 month Surgical Innovation Development Accelerator Course (SIDAC), 6 teams were awarded a total of almost $500,000 in funding, and then 4 teams were selected to pitch at a Shark Tank-style Grand Rounds to outside investors. Awardees from the first round in 2017-2018 have already gone on to win another $650,000 in follow-on funding.
Over 40 surgeons, scientists, engineers, surgical residents, and medical students gained critical knowledge of the value and development of surgical technologies toward patient use and impact during the first Michigan Surgical Innovation Prize Competition and SIDAC course. Participants developed a thorough understanding of how to navigate their ideas through the university and into the market. The program created tremendous impact within the Department for faculty engaged in clinical and translational surgical problem-solving, and it catapulted Michigan’s Department of Surgery as a national leader in Surgical Innovation.