Biodesign Innovation Fellowship (for surgical residents)

Stanford University offers a novel opportunity called the Biodesign Innovation Fellowship for surgical residents.

Surgical Fellowship

A subset of the Biodesign Innovation Fellowship is the Surgical Fellowship - available to surgical residents in their research years. They join the Biodesign Innovation Fellowship and spend two years. Those who wish to join the Innovation fellowship but are also completing their Surgical Residency or Fellowship may apply for the special Innovation Surgical Fellowship, which is a two-year program.

FDA Fellowship

The Biodesign program offers a fellowship opportunity at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the FDA. Read more on the FDA Fellowship page.

Learn more on the Stanford Biodesign website.

Writing a Book

I've started writing a book about my personal journey into the non-clinical world of medicine. Let me give you a tiny preview:

As an undergraduate student at MIT, I thought I was going to be a biomedical engineer. I studied mechanical engineering and got involved in cancer research. I applied to medical school and graduated. That was when I started meeting other MIT colleagues who had decided to pursue non-clinical healthcare careers. In some ways, that's when my journey began because I started asking the question: "What are my options if I graduate from medical school but I don't want to practice medicine?"

Experimental Advanced Prosthetic Arm Systems

I've always loved biomedical engineering. When I went to MIT, I thought I was going to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. Now, the concept of biomedical engineering has evolved in bioengineering (tissue, molecular, and genetic biology) and of course you still have people working in biomechanical engineering (that would have been my choice many years ago).

There's a really neat story in JAMA about patients using experimental advanced prosthetic arms. Does this remind you of a movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger? I love the Terminator series. I think it's great to see advances in engineering that are improving healthcare.

Improved Prosthetic Foot: The K3 Promoter

I've always had a passion for advances in biomedical engineering. I've also always enjoyed reading Popular Science. There's a story about the K3 Promotor - an artificial foot that may result in more natural walking. Designed by a mechanical engineer named Rifkin, this foot design may revolutionize the prosthesis industry. Read about this foot here.