Pediatric Surgery Innovation Fellowship

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.

“The best part of the fellowship is the immersion into the surgical and clinical work, with a first-hand experience of the surgeries and patient-based interactions. That is really the main driver that helps new ideas take shape, when you are faced with a patient that you know can benefit from your team’s work."
 
Sophia P. Pilipchuk, PhD, BME (2017-2018)

Innovation fellows are assembled into interdisciplinary innovation teams comprised of medical and dental residents, engineers of different disciplines, scientists in biomedical disciplines and business professionals. These groups collaborate in a process of nascent biomedical innovation and development, with a focus on solving pediatric specific medical device needs.

The teams go through a systematic process involving didactic education, full clinical immersion for problem identification and verification, innovation, intellectual property evaluation, market research, prototyping, early-stage testing, and technology distribution planning. Fellows are under the auspices of UM clinicians, engineers and business school faculty, but also tap the specific expertise available from technology transfer professionals and industry R&D leaders, as well as regulatory, reimbursement and financial experts.

Fellows' efforts are expected to lead to new, innovative solutions to address major clinical and surgical needs, with outcomes to include invention disclosures, patents, licensing of technologies, company startups, and, ultimately, commercialization that positively impacts the lives of our pediatric patients.

Biomedical Innovation Fundamentals

• Front-end innovation training
• Medical domain specific curriculum with academic and industry thought leaders
• Formal training in human-centric observation techniques
• Identifying opportunities through clinical immersion
• Needs identification, concept generation and concept selection
• Design and prototype lab hands-on training
• Intellectual property strategy
• Research and development strategy
• Regulatory and reimbursement strategy
• Business strategy and business plan development
• Personal interactions / tours with industry

The fellowship partners with the Michigan Pediatric Device Consortium (MPED), led by program director Dr. James D. Geiger, to provide training and research opportunities for fellows.

The cornerstone of the fellowship is the curriculum, designed to complement a thematic focus of pediatric medical needs.

The curriculum is comprised of three phases — Innovator's Foundation, Opportunity Exploration, and Opportunity Execution — each geared toward the advancement of skill and thought to transform knowledge into innovations that improve health.

Post-graduate professionals with medical, doctorate, or master's degrees with a background in medicine, engineering, life sciences, public health, dentistry, or relevant business experience are eligible to apply. Physicians in their residency and who are interested in medical innovation are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligibility by Discipline

• Engineering: Advanced degree or bachelor's degree with equivalent work experience. Fellowship is one year.
• Medical: Should have completed a minimum of two clinical years in an accredited residency program. Participation in a procedure-oriented specialty is preferred but not required.

Additional Requirements

• Candidates must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent U.S. Resident.
• Applicants should thrive in an intense, creative, and collaborative environment and be exceptionally self-motivated.
• Candidates will be judged on their demonstrated leadership, training, academic accomplishments, creativity, and real-life experiences. 

How to Apply

We accept applications for the fellowship program beginning in November for the following calendar year program. The Pediatric Surgery Innovation Fellowship program is currently hiring engineers to participate in the program from August 1, 2021 through July, 2022.

Innovation teams, made up of fellows from both engineering and medical backgrounds, work together throughout the fellowship to develop a concept and take it through the different stages of product development.

“I have found that my 'eyes' for potential opportunities have become keener. Every inefficiency, complication, difficulty, or bad outcome encountered in the clinical world becomes a chance for improvement.”
 
Farokh Demerhi, MD (2014-2015)