The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has introduced a four-year offline Bachelor of Science programme in medical sciences and engineering. The first of its kind programme in the country will be offered in the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology (https://mst.iitm.ac.in) that was launched on Thursday.
Cognizant co-founder Lakshmi Narayanan and IIT-M director V. Kamakoti participated in the event in which a memorandum of understanding was signed with half a dozen medical institutions as well.
The interdisciplinary course will prepare students to design life-saving medical devices, drug discovery, artificial intelligence in medicine besides fundamental medical research.
Mr. Lakshmi Narayanan said collaborative research in medical sciences could catapult India to a global leader in clinical outcomes. With the country having demonstrated its leadership in space, nuclear, digital and biotechnology, extending its research capability to medicine is a natural step, he said and added that investment in collaborative research and practice would produce outstanding clinical results.
Mr. Kamakoti said India’s experience during COVID outbreak had made it evident that the country needed to incorporate technology in medicine to handle similar situations in future. Course coordinator and institute professor R. Krishna Kumar said the department would train physicians to apply technology effectively in their clinical practice.
Candidates who qualify in Class 12 with science stream in 2022 or 2023 from any board of study recognised by the Union Education Department may apply. Medical doctors who were involved in curriculum development will be professors of practice. The department has tied up with premier hospitals and medical institutions such as the Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital, Sankara Nethralaya, Madras Medical Mission, MGM, Voluntary Health Services and Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in the city.
The department will offer Ph. D. and M.S. by research degrees for doctors besides M.S. in Medical Sciences and Engineering and Ph.D. for science and engineering graduates. Department head Boby George said the interdisciplinary approach will improve health outcomes by leveraging engineering and medical knowledge of new technologies.
