At the University of Twente together with the Free University of Amsterdam a new educational program on Biomedical Engineering will be developed. The academic program with a five-year duration will start in September 2001. After a general, broad education in Biomedical Engineering in the first three years, the students specialise in one of the following areas: materials and tissue engineering; technology for restoration of human function; healthcare technolog

Alste, J.A. van

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van Alste, Jan A.

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A new educational program on biomedical engineering

University of Twente Research Information

Proceedings of the 22"d Annual EMBS International Conference, July 23-28,2000, Chicago IL. A new educational program on Biomedical Engineering J& A. van Alst6' Abstract - At the University of Twente together with the Free University of Amsterdam a new educational program on Biomedical Engineering will be developed. The academic program with a five-year duration will start in September 2001. After a general, broad education in Biomedical Engineering in the first three years, the students specialise in one of the following areas: Materials and Tissue engineering; Technology for restoration of human function; healthcare technology. Key words - Biomedical engineering, education, healthcare technology, materials and tissue engineering, restoration of human function 1. INTRODUCTION Due to demographic changes and ongoing prosperity in the Western world it is expected that healthcare, its organisation and the enabling and supporting technology will grow and change rapidly in the next decade. At the same time the barriers between the traditional (technological) disciplines are fading. These developments have consequences for the desired education. of biomedical engineers. Therefoc the University of Twente decided to extend its current offer of engineering programs with a five-year (M.Sc.) program in Biomedical Engineering (BME) [ 11. This is additional, to the more than twenty years existing M.Sc. specialisation on BME in the engineering programs and also to the Ph.D. program in BME. In the new M.Sc. program on BME, engineering is integrated with biomedical knowledge from the first year on. In, fact this honours the growth Biomedical Engineering has made from an interesting application area for engineers to an independent engineering discipline La. The Twente program on BME was defined to meet the requirements of fast growing areas in Biomedical Engineering and to challenge the interests of potential Dutch students. These potential students with a science education currently tend to be more interested in the human aspects of their education then they were in the past. They are now attracted by keywords like: applied, working with people, multidisciplinary and contribution to mankind. 11. BACKGROUND AND G O A L S  The University of Twente has a relatively long tradition in research and education in Biomedical Engineering. Shortly after its foundation in the nineteen-sixties, the first research projects on BME were initiated. In the nineteen-seventies, the first courses in BME followed. Currently the research of the university is concentrated in the research institute BMTI and BME courses are presented as majors in the study programs of Mechanical-, Electrical- and Chemical Engineering as in Applied Physics. These experiences were the basis for the new BME study program. The results of an investigation concerning the future labour market and the interests of potential students were used to determine the main directions. The Medical faculty and the faculty for Movement Sciences of the Free University in Amsterdam contribute biomedical knowledge to the educational program. The profile of the BME profession is developing and comprises sectors that are currently and in the future important: the market sector, the healthcare sector and the related sectors. In the market sector positions are foreseen for Biomedical engineers in: - production companies - commercial enterprises - commercial health services - commercial care - new companies, start-ups The healthcare sector provides jobs for BME graduates in: - hospital healthcare - transmurale healthcare - home care ' Biomedical Engineering University of Twente P.O. box 217 7500 AE Enschede j .a.vanalste @lg.utwente.nl 0-7803-6465-11001$10.00 02000 IEEE 2952 Proceedings of the 22"d Annual EMBS International Conference, July 23-28,2000, Chicago IL. Related positions can be found by: - government - health insurers - research institutes - educational institutes An extemal firm of consultants estimated the extent of the labour market in 2010 for Biomedical Engineers in the Netherlands to be between 140 and 290 annually 131. In. CURRICULUM A basic assumption for the planning of the independent educational program on Biomedical Engineering is its five-year duration. Currently in the Netherlands there is no Bachelor - Master system. A full engineering program takes five years. Upon graduation people are entitled "ingenieur" (ir.). The curriculum was developed systematically. At first the main objectives were determined and then elaborated in sub-objectives. Subsequently, these objectives were translated into operational learning The main objectives for the education of the Biomedical Engineer are: - To be able to do research and development at an academic level on technological methods and systems and their application in healthcare and related sectors. To have a sound knowledge of the functioning of biological systems and human behavior so helshe is able to cooperate with experts in the field. Also a broad knowledge is requested of the applications of technology in healthcare organizations. To be able to define, develop, and realize products and systems and their industrial production methods for healthcare. goals. - - The sub-objectives are divided into six groups and comprise: - academic attitude, - basic knowledge, - technological sciences, - applications, - - societal and market aspects. The objectives are translated into operational learning goals for the first (propaedeutic) year, the end of the third year (the mid terms defining the required program) and the end terms for the total program. The end terms are split up in three categories: - Technological, biomedical and healthcare oriented - Related to academic performance - Integration of social aspects in a design. communicative and organizational skills and 0-7803-6465-1/001$10.00 02000 IEEE Integration of disciplines Biomedical engineers often have to work in a team with specialists of other disciplines. They should be able to combine and integrate knowledge of other specialists with their own knowledge. Starting with a problem or challenge, the biomedical engineer comes to the synthesis of a product, process, method or system that is based on a thorough analysis. So core competencies of the related professional attitude are analysis, development, support, design, research and training. The context in which a product or service should function often has been given. The quality of the implementation of a product or service is depending on the level of integration of basic social and human information in the design. Teaching methods More traditional methods of teaching like lectures, seminars and practical work are used as well as problem oriented learning and project oriented training. The latter two teaching methods are particularly well suited to achieve the desired integration between the various disciplines involved in biomedical engineering education. The structure of the study program The first year provides the basis for the BME discipline. The required courses concem general and no specific knowledge. Understanding the biomedical and technological basis and its integrated application at a simple level is the goal. The second year is used to extend the basis, not only broader but also more in depth. The third year concludes the basic education and. prepares for the major to be chosen. The fourth and fifth years comprise the selected major and minor. The minor consists of an introduction of halve a year duration in a different discipline. The major comprises elective courses, a practical training period and a master thesis project. 2953 Proceedings of the 22"d Annual EMBS International Conference, July 23-28,2000, Chicago IL. First year Second year Third year Fourth year Fifth year MB 4 SP MB 2 SP MB 2 SP TM 4SP TM 6SP TF 4SP ICT 2SP ST&S 2SP ST&S 2SP BME (pol) 4 SP BME (pol) 4 SP BME (pol) 4 SP (prac) 2 SP MB 4 SP MB 2 SP MB 2 SP TM 4SP TM 6SP TF 4SP  ICT 2SP ST&S 2SP ST&S 2SP BME (pol) 2 SP (mda) 2 SP Deepening (compulsory) Deepening (electives) ApprenticeshipPOT 21 SP 7 SP 14 SP Major compulsory Minor Major apprenticeship 7 SP 21 SP 14 SP 8 SP 34 SP BME (mda) 4 SP (prac) 2 SP BME (pol) 4 SP Major electives Subject for final (Major) Legend: MB: Medical Biological courses TM: Technology and Mathematics courses ST&S: Society, Technology & Sciences BME: Biomedical Engineering courses Pol: Problem oriented learning Prac: Practical training Mda: Multidisciplinary design assignment Pot: Project oriented training Studypoints, one studypoint equals 40 hours of student work SP The majors De BME program shows a choice of three majors, which are related with the research program of the research school iBME [4]: Materials an Tissue engineering Affection, degeneration or loss of cells and organs request the need for (artificial) replacements. The related science concerns the development, synthesis and application of biomaterials and tissue. This includes molecular and cellular aspects. Technology for restoration of human function Failing or loss of body functions makes systems desirable that compensate for the loss and enables restoration of function. The related major concerns the development and realization of diagnostic methods and therapies for restoration of human functions. This includes prostheses and ortheses for the neuromuscular system and the related rehabilitation process. Healthcare technology The growing elderly population and the limited healthcare workers demands for higher productivity. This major concerns the optimization of the (health)care process. Improvement of healthcare-, rehabilitation- and independent living processes both in hospitals as transmurale with technological and telecommunication methods. IV. CONCLUSION In the coming academic year 2000-2001 the University has to prepare the courses for the first year of the Biomedical Engineering program starting in September 2001. In the following period every year this educational program will be extended with one year. This process will reach completion in 2007 when the total program is operational. REFERENCES J.D. Enderle, S.M. Blanchard and J.D. Bronzino, Introduction to biomedical engineering, Academic Press, 2000. J.A. van AlstC and H.A.T. Miedema, Biomedische Technologie, University of Twente, Enschede, Oct. 1999. Willems & van den Wildenberg b.v., Het arbeidsperspectief van de biomedische ingenieur, Firm of consultants, Den Haag, Oct. 1999. Integrated BioMedical Engineering for restoration of human function (iBME), Progress report 1998, University of Twente, Enschede, 1998. 0-7803-6465-11001$10.00 02000 IEEE 2954 

Engineering for restoration of human function (iBME),

Het arbeidsperspectief van de biomedische ingenieur, Firm of consultants,

Introduction to biomedical engineering,

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A new educational program on biomedical engineering

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