The Pediatric Surgery Innovation Fellowship at U-M is designed for post-graduate professionals with advanced degrees in medicine or engineering. The fellowship program assembles a team of talented post-graduates in medicine (MD, DO), engineering (Masters and above) to develop medical technologies which will significantly impact healthcare options for pediatric patients. The “anti-disciplinary” nature of the program blurs the boundaries of these disciplines as the fellows work together as a team. The action learning approach begins with a deep understanding of the unmet medical need and progresses through design, prototyping, regulatory and business planning on the way to full commercialization.
This fellowship offers:
- Learning in teams: The fellowship matches 2-4 trainees from pediatric surgery and engineering to form a year-long team as they study problem spaces in pediatric health care and then devise opportunities for new devices or other improvements.
- Support for commercialization: Drawing on the resources and expertise within the Michigan Pediatric Device Consortium and U-M’s vast innovation resources, we’re well-positioned to guide innovations from conception to commercialization. Fellowship teams are encouraged to take part in conferences, compete for innovation support in and outside of the university pursue funding opportunities for prototype development. Teams receive training in the business of medical innovation as well as the science.
- Time for research: Ideas generated as a result of the design process naturally dovetail with research and publication opportunities for trainees, with many fellows in the program publishing their work by the end of the program.