A New Structure of Biomedical Engineering Postgraduate Programs

Ratko Magjarevic & Vedran Bilas
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Croatia
ratko.magjarevic@fer.hr, vedran.bilas@fer.hr

General Requirements for BME Programs: Biomedical engineering is growing very rapidly, as a result of thousands of successful research projects. This development of BME science and technology also sets new standards in biomedical engineering education - where quality and excellence are required. A biomedical engineer has to understand not only engineering, but the wide interdisciplinary range of mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry, and in addition many topics from medicine too. A modern biomedical engineering curriculum needs to incorporated engineering and life sciences knowledge.

State of the Art in Europe: Though there is a long tradition of BME programs in the European Union, the agreement on the minimal requirements for mutual recognition of programs and degrees is still under discus- sion. There is a wide range of different programs (specialisations). The signing of the Bologna Declaration in 1999 by representatives of Universities from all EU countries, and the accepting of the Declaration by a large group of European Universities from countries outside the EU in Prague in June 2001, makes a good starting point for establishing harmonised programs. Work on accreditation of biomedical engineering educational programs in Europe is already well underway due to the efforts of the IFMBE Ad-Hoc Committee on European Activities.

Preparing New Programs: Even in stable societies, the education system sometimes has problems with the continuous adaptation to changing needs, society's demands and advances in scientific knowledge. In transitional countries, mostly due to their economic instability, the educational system cannot always adopt the anticipated changes in due time. Therefore, one should start only those educational programs which in their concept accept the requirement of the forthcoming European system of education or at least make those programs easily adaptable to change.

Within Europe, there are still countries where the professional and social status of engineers working in a clinical environment is inadequate. Biomedical and/or clinical engineers are not recognised by the healthcare system as a profession. This unsatisfactory position of BME and CE in those countries is at least partially due to the lack of a recognised, accredited program at any of the levels of the three cycle programs (in European educational structure). Since BME programs are very demanding, one comes to the problem of financing the (new) BME programs. This step is harder for smaller countries with small and unstable labour markets (especially in countries in transition), where one cannot expect a large number of participants for the program. So, a circus vicious is formed. In Croatia, we proposed a new structure for a postgraduate program that is based on the interdisciplinarity (inherent for BME) and international mobility.

Interdisciplinarity and Mobility: The whole academic educational system in Europe is changing very rapidly. Differences that were due to national tradition will be removed and replaced with the three cycle (level) system. This system will be based on minimum requirements (speaking in terms of harmonisation) for accreditation of an academic program. Minimum requirements do not mean minimal knowledge, but a possibility of generating specialistic profiles. A unique system of education will increase mobility within the areas where it was introduced.

1. Interdisciplinarity means opening and accepting new ideas and concepts within the profession, ideas and principles that come from the neighbouring research fields, and which advocate team work and research. Biomedical engineering has a special position within research sciences due to its interdisciplinarity. BME programs stimulate the dissolution of old, traditional boundaries between the university departments (i.e. different fields of science and engineering) and encourage their bridging.
2. Mobility, with emphasis on international mobility, because research and development is nowadays based on expert knowledge in specific areas and sub areas. Therefore we think that knowledge within particular research groups could be significantly increased by the exchange of postgraduate students, their inclusion into research in the new environment, and training to use new equipment and research tools. International experi-ence in education and research is enriching for students personally because of the additional qualification they get and because of the inclusion into the international professional network.

However, after breaking the formal barriers, the practical constraints have to be overcome as well. Nevertheless, the present political will to promote free movement of persons, goods, services and capital should enable enhanced mobility of students, lecturers and scientists as well.

In small countries, within the concept of rational organisation of the healthcare system and educational system as well, international programs enabling mobility (of both, students and lecturers) will insure adequate education of such specialistic profiles. Therefore, we find that the academic community as well as professional organisations like the IFMBE and IUPESM should strongly support development of international programs and support their implementation.

International Programs: Projects like establishing international programs in disciplines, which were not traditionally present in some countries, could encourage and speed up the whole process of adaptating to a new educational system. BME and CE are within this group. Encouragement can be gained from the fact that healthcare reform, in order to reduce costs, has gained the importance of planning and proper decisionmaking, and accordingly needs professionals to carry this further. Moreover, a readiness to introduce new information and communication technologies to achieve the aim of the reform is evident.

Furthermore, in the scope of globalisation and within a discipline that is so rapidly changing due to introduction of new technologies (healthcare - more than 85% of all diagnostic decisions and therapeutic treatments are resulting from an action of some kind of a medical device), a need for continuous exchange of experience and knowledge is a must. Therefore, international schools should also become the basis of continuing education programs (continuing professional development, life-long learning). These programs should be recognised and accredited in order to enable the establishment of certification schemes.