April 6, 2011

A new Clinical Engineering concentration within the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering‘s PhD program has been approved for launch in September 2011.

The new concentration, for doctoral candidates with an undergraduate engineering degree, will emphasize enhancing patient safety, quality of care and quality of life, and to be prepared to meet the increasing demand for clinical engineers as leaders in research and innovation.

In addition to completing the normal requirements of the existing PhD program, students in the concentration will require co-supervision by engineering and health science faculty, and must conduct research within a clinical health care environment.

Graduate students without a formal degree in clinical engineering are normally required to complete a specified half-course in Clinical Engineering. The new concentration includes an option to allow Clinical Engineering graduate students currently in the MHSc program to transfer into the PhD program’s concentration.

“This is a significant milestone for the field of Clinical Engineering in Canada and abroad,” said Professor Paul Santerre, Director, IBBME. “The Faculty has taken the lead in expanding what was traditionally a professional master’s program by enhancing the depth of its curriculum, and focusing on the translation of innovative technologies and tools into the health care sector, which generates approximately 11% of Canada’s gross domestic product in the form of services and products.

“The PhD concentration in Clinical Engineering aligns quite well with the University of Toronto’s deep roots as a leading research-intensive institution, and was developed in response to the strong interest of our graduate students.”