? The objective of this proposed clinical summer immersion program is to provide substantial clinical experiences for biomedical engineering graduate students to help shape their understanding and appreciation of challenges in medicine. This program will be offered to the first year Biomedical Engineering PhD students. During their first summer break, the students will be placed at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University campus for 10 weeks of full time immersion in clinical practice. Each student will be assigned to a clinician mentor. The students will shadow the practice of clinician mentors and their partners, engage in focused study of specific organ anatomy, diseases, and diseases' diagnoses and treatments, participate in ongoing research directly related to clinical practice, and attend lectures on bioethics and ongoing clinical seminars. Additionally at the Ithaca Engineering campus of Cornell University, the students will register for and attend introductory lectures in the preceding spring semester necessary for matching students and clinician mentors and participate in a concluding seminar at the Biomedical Engineering Department the following fall semester.
The specific aims for the clinical summer immersion program are: 1) To introduce students to the principles underlying medical ethics and the responsible conduct of research. 2) To provide the students a basic understanding of the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and technologies in a specific clinical practice area, such as Radiology, Cardiology, Surgery, Pediatrics, Urology or Orthopedics. 3) To guide students through a focused independent clinical study with a clinician mentor. ? ? ?