Fruits Of An Engineering + MD Degree

Being a pre-med engineer can be confusing as most students do not know how they can use their degree in the medical career. It seems that almost all of the focus is given to promoting science majors as future doctors, while engineering schools have little information for its students with a medical interest. Sure, there is bioengineering, but degrees such as mechanical and electrical engineering also give skills that may be suited equaly if not better for future doctors, yet they are underrepresented.

The reality is that a great deal of technological progress is undergoing in the medical industry, and doctors with engineering backgrounds are needed more than ever to help bring technology to market. A great example of this is Dr. Anthony DiGioia who earned a bachelors in civil and masters in civil/biomedical engineering and continued on to Harvard Medical School. Doctor DiGioia used his engineering background and university contacts to link robotics and surgery by forming the Institute for Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery. The work of this institute facilitates development of new surgical robotic technology. Some of the projects included the HipNav & KneeNav systems that allow for better positioning during hip/knee replacement procedures.

In technology development, the idea is everything. It is always possible to find bright minds to put things together, but it takes much more to develop the right idea. I believe that a combination of an engineering background along with a medical degree is exactly what is needed to push current medical technology in the right direction. Dr. DiGioia did it, and hopefully engineering schools will start educating their students about this new phase in technological advancement.

source: The Future of Surgery, Christopher Davis, Pittsburgh Business Times, Feb 8, 2002

Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty (UKA)

As part of my recent work experience I had a chance to learn about a unique knee arthroplasty procedure. The word unicondylar, means that only a single condyle gets replaced. The procedure is applicable to conditions where only part of the knee surface is damaged. Whereas total knee replacement would remove both healthy and damaged bone, altering normal kinematics of the joint, UKA will preserve some of the kinematics by keeping the healthy part.

Although the procedure is not new and has been around for thirty years, it is gaining more attention because it can be performed in a minimally invasive fashion. Minimally invasive procedure allows for smaller incision site, decreased recovery period, and reduced morbidity.
image source: www.emedicine.com

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Parrots Help Vets

I have been following the Journal of Military Medicine and almost every issue touches on the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS). The current war in Iraq has resulted in large numbers of soldiers with this problem, and has increased interest of the medical professionals. Today on the radio I heard of a parrot sanctuary that is used as a treatment center for vets. The place is called Serenity Park, and it houses abused parrots. The veterans take care of the facility and interact with the parrots. This interesting approach seems to have positive results.
image source: www.hedweb.com/animimag/parrot-hotlinks.htm

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