Medical Engineering Education based on the Spiral Approach

Abstract

The goal of Medical Engineering (ME) education is to qualify students to become engineers who can provide technological solutions to problems encountered in medical environments. The undergraduate program of ME has been emerging as a distinct discipline at academic institutions. Students in this program undergo extensive training in both medicine and engineering sciences. This manuscript presents the curriculum of the ME bachelor's degree program at Afeka College of Engineering, which is designed according to the spiral approach. This approach is based on iterative revisiting of topics, such that with each encounter, levels of difficulty and sophistication are increased, new learning is related to previous learning, and students' competency is enhanced. A survey of students and graduates indicates that the approach greatly contributes to an integrative understanding of the studied material. Our experience of using this approach suggests that it fosters a holistic perspective and that it provides graduates with skills for dealing with industrial and academy challenges. This manuscript could contribute for anyone who develops or improves curriculum, particularly in a multidisciplinary program.