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Session 1109

An Immersion Term in Biomedical Mechanics Elizabeth R. Myers, Ph.D., Marjolein C. H. van der Meulen, Ph.D., Timothy M. Wright, Ph.D., and Donald L. Bartel, Ph.D. Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University/ Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University

Abstract

This paper describes an Immersion Term in Biomedical Mechanics that was developed under a Whitaker Special Opportunities Award. We developed this program between the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) affiliated with the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. The main goal was to expose Cornell engineering students to research and clinical practice in a hospital setting. The Immersion Terms took place at HSS in New York City. Students from the graduate fields of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at the main campus spent either 6 weeks (doctoral students) or 3.5 weeks (masters students) at the hospital. The students participated in orientation, courses on musculoskeletal mechanics, independent studies, observation in the operating room, tours of laboratory research facilities, and multiple seminars and meetings. Based on evaluation forms and exit interviews, the students gained the most from the operating room experiences, the independent study, the musculoskeletal course, and the awareness of what it takes to be full-time hospital research staff. We also initiated a corresponding exchange program for medical doctors in training at HSS to attend the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in a masters degree program. To date, one resident in orthopaedic surgery has participated in this program. Based on the overwhelming enthusiasm of the students in both programs, the Immersion Term concept is recommended for maximizing exposure of graduate students in biomedical engineering to hospital-based research and for training physicians in biomedical engineering.

Introduction

The gap between an engineering school and a medical school can be both physical and ideological. The Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and the hospitals of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City face a physical gap that is daunting -- a separation of over 200 miles. Researchers from the two institutions have been working together successfully for over 25 years, and we wanted to strengthen a parallel educational program for graduate students. With assistance from the Whitaker Foundation, we have developed an Immersion Term to span this gap and expose Cornell biomedical engineering students to research and clinical practice in a hospital affiliated

Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2001, American Society for Engineering Education

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Wright, T., & Myers, E., & Bartel, D., & van der Meulen, M. (2001, June), An Immersion Term In Biomedical Mechanics Paper presented at 2001 Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10.18260/1-2--9340