2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Clinical immersion programs in biomedical engineering (BME) education have emerged as transformative experiences that bridge classroom learning with real-world healthcare environments. These programs aim to enhance student understanding of clinical workflows, foster empathy, and improve their ability to identify unmet medical needs – skills that are essential for effective medical device design and innovation [1], [2]. Our summer immersion program spans six weeks and integrates instructional sessions (week 1), clinical observations (weeks 2-5), and collaborative design work (week 6) to strengthen students’ engineering design capabilities and deepen their understanding of health disparities [3]. A total of 52 undergraduate BME students participated in our program across a five-year period (2021-2025). This paper presents an evaluation of our clinical immersion and design program over this period, using data from three complementary surveys: the Program Survey, administered to students at the conclusion of their experience in our program; the Ambassador Survey, which captures longitudinal feedback from program alumni; and the Clinician Survey, which gathers insights from healthcare professionals who hosted students during clinical rotations. Together, these instruments provide a holistic view of the program’s impact on student learning, professional development, and clinical collaboration.

Program Survey results consistently demonstrate high levels of student satisfaction and perceived preparedness. Participants reported strong agreement with statements related to program organization (mean = 5.50/6), communication with organizers (5.85), and availability of resources (5.80). Students also ranked the design experience highly, reporting a strong understanding of the engineering design process (5.52) and that the program helped them think differently about needs identification (5.80) and prepared them for future design courses (5.96). Students also expressed increased confidence in identifying and refining clinical needs and applying design principles, with all respondents recommending the program to peers. Open-ended responses emphasized the value of diverse clinical exposure, the importance of social consciousness in design, and the transformative nature of real-world healthcare engagement. The Ambassador Survey, which received responses from both current students and recent graduates, revealed sustained benefits beyond the initial immersion period. Program alumni frequently cited the influence of their clinical immersion and design experience on their career direction, continued involvement in design projects, and leadership development. These findings suggest that the program fosters long-term professional identity formation and reinforces design competencies over time.

Clinician feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with most respondents rating their experience with the program and its student participants highly across multiple dimensions. On a 6-point Likert scale, clinicians consistently rated the program’s organization, communication, and student engagement between 5 and 6. Specifically, clinicians felt that students were well-prepared in terms of medical terminology, comfortable asking questions, and demonstrated professionalism and curiosity during their rotations. Several clinicians noted that students were eager to learn and actively contributed to discussions about clinical processes and technology use. Some clinicians observed that students offered ideas for improving clinical workflows, indicating a meaningful level of engagement and design thinking. While most clinicians felt the program was well-structured and worthwhile, a few suggested improvements such as better alignment between student interests and clinical placements. Overall, the clinician responses reflect strong support for the program’s continuation and growth, with many expressing enthusiasm about hosting future cohorts.

In summary, participants, program alumni, and clinician partners highly rank our clinical immersion and design program. These survey results complement recent qualitative analyses of student reflections during our program, which described high levels of design learning alongside identified themes of healthcare access, insurance challenges, and socioeconomic disparities [4]. By triangulating student and clinician perspectives across time, this study contributes to a growing body of evidence supporting experiential learning in biomedical engineering [5].