The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has launched the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, which aims to provide students with the skills needed to advance medical research. The four-year Bachelor of Science programme in medical sciences and engineering offers an interdisciplinary approach aiming at preparing students for fundamental medical research, designing life-saving medical devices, drug discovery, and artificial intelligence in medicine. The department will also train physicians to apply technology in their clinical practice and bring about physician-scientists training in India.
The launch took place in the presence of Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, Lakshmi Narayanan, Co-Founder of Cognizant, medical clinicians on the Steering Committee of the Department, and several other stakeholders. The department has already established tie-ups with leading hospitals and medical institutions in India and has received the support of top medical doctors in India and abroad who were jointly involved in the development of the curriculum. These doctors will be ‘Professors of Practice’ in this department.
The department’s mission is to create an outstanding research institution for medical sciences and technology in order to educate and instruct physician-scientists and engineering physiologists to become future leaders in their disciplines. It will carry out both basic and practical research programmes that will bring together multiple fields of medicine.
Prof. Boby George, who is the Head of the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology at IIT Madras, stated that the programme combines the fields of engineering and medicine in a distinctive way that opens up countless opportunities.
The Department of Medical Sciences and Technology at IIT Madras will provide a range of courses, which comprises a PhD programme for doctors, an MS by research for doctors, and an MS in Medical Sciences and Engineering. The department acknowledges the significance of cooperation between doctors and engineers and offers a dual PhD programme that emphasizes the creation of devices and data analytics.
“With this interdisciplinary approach to improving healthcare outcomes by leveraging engineering and medical knowledge, new technologies can be developed that monitor vital parameters of various organs, detect signs of disease, and help to provide targeted prevention and treatment options, ” George added.
For eligibility to enrol in the programme, candidates need to have passed their Class 12 (or equivalent) exam in 2022 or 2023, with a science stream from any board recognized by the Council of Boards of Department Education in India. Admission will be through the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT). The programme includes an internship at a hospital to integrate theoretical and practical learning. The courses in the programme will be taught by a combination of medical and engineering faculty, offering students a robust research foundation.
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