Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biomedical Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Dr. Timothy J Muldoon

Abstract

A major goal of biomedical engineering is the development of novel and innovative medical technology that advances and improves healthcare outcomes. An essential component of medical device design is identifying the clinical needs of patients and healthcare providers and applying engineering solutions to meet these needs. Our biomedical engineering department has developed a clinical and industry immersion course, which exposes students to the environment in which physicians and patients practice and engages students in this needs identification process. This study evaluates the impact of clinical immersion on undergraduate biomedical engineering students' confidence and perceived ability to identify and define unmet clinical needs. A mixed-methods approach was used, incorporating quantitative and qualitative data that was collected through Qualtrics survey. Participants included third-year biomedical engineering students enrolled in the Clinical Observations and Needs Findings course from two independent cohorts, a Fall 2025 group (n=44) and a Spring 2026 group (n=33). The survey aimed to assess student’s confidence levels in applying what they are taught in the classroom to real-world clinical scenarios to develop meaningful engineering solutions. Results from the Fall 2025 cohort displayed notable increases in confidence levels between the pre-course and post-course survey, with agreement rates rising from 67.5% to 91% in students' abilities to provide relevant engineering solutions, and from 80% to 93.2% in applying classroom knowledge to real-world problems. Baseline comparisons made between the two cohorts indicated a similar initial confidence level. Qualitative findings emphasized a shift in students' perspectives on the overall design process, highlighting the importance of clinical context in problem identification, along with the development of soft skills in engineering design. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of clinical immersion courses in undergraduate biomedical engineering curricula, and supports a broader use of experiential learning methods in engineering education. The hands-on experiences provided through this course play a significant role in preparing engineering students to enter the field of healthcare innovation following graduation, and help foster the ability to develop clinically relevant and impactful engineering solutions.

Keywords

Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Curriculum, Engineering Education, Clinical Immersion

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