INNOVATION January-February 2013

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A Short History of Biomedical Engineering Education in British Columbia

Dr. Andrew Rawicz, P.Eng. With contributions from Anthony Chan, P.Eng.; Bruno Jaggi, P.Eng.; Dr. Ezra Kwok, P.Eng.; Dr. Charles Laszlo, P.Eng.; Dr. Jim McEwen, P.Eng.; Dr Stephanie Willerth, P.Eng.

Introduction The rapid development of the natural and life sciences during the last two centuries is closely linked to the development of medical technologies. After the Second World War, biomedical engineer- ing emerged as a separate engineering discipline, but formal edu- cation in this field did not begin until the 1960s. In Canada, the Institute of Biomedical Electronics at the University of Toronto was established in 1962, followed by the Biomedical Engineering Unit at McGill University in 1966. Today, most Canadian uni- versities and many colleges offer biomedical engineering and technology training. British Columbia was among the leaders in this field with the BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) offering training in biomedical engineering technology beginning in 1967. Yet, while biomedical engineering research flourished in BC universities, formal bio- medical engineering training on the university level did not begin until the late 1970s and -80s. Since then, BC hospitals, the medical device industry and BC post-secondary institutions have developed a unique collabora- tive environment that fosters biomedical engineering innovation, research, development and engineering career opportunities. The evolution of this environment occurred in several steps and has been influenced by the vision and dedication of members of APEGBC.

BC Institute of Technology The Biomedical Electronics Technology Program at BCIT began in 1967 and graduated its first two students in 1969. In 1990, the name of the program was changed to Biomedical Engineering Technology to reflect changes in the curriculum and emphasize its industry focus. The two-year full-time diploma program prepares students to sup- port, develop, design, build and manage medical devices and systems. To allow for extensive interaction between students and faculty, no more than 32 students are accepted to the program every year. Course work involves 1,800 instructional hours, followed by a capstone project and a four-week practicum. The practicum involves full-time work in either hospital biomedical engineering departments or with medical device companies. Courses are specific to biomedical engineering and include mechanical, electrical and computer software engineering, commu- nications, anatomy and physiology. Standards, protocols, research and design methodologies, and clinical practices are also discussed. The program has a philosophy of “hands-on engineering” that focuses on principles of operation of devices, the related clini- cal issues, design, troubleshooting and management of technol- ogy in the health care environment. Students are also exposed to mechanical and electronic workshops, software design tools, and prototyping techniques.

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