Chula Launches a 6-Year Dual-Degree Program in Medical and Biomedical Engineering

16 March 2020

On Friday, 28 February 2020, at the Theatre Room, Floor 1, MDCU Library Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Professor Suttipong Wacharasindhu, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Professor Supot Teachavorasinskun, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, joined together to announce the launch of a 6-year dual-degree program with an undergraduate degree in medicine and a postgraduate degree in biomedical engineering.

Professor Suttipong reveals that the highlight of the combined program is that students will be able to receive 2 degrees within a shorter amount of time. The program design allows students to explore and integrate medical and biomedical engineering knowledge into the development of academic works, research, and innovation. The curriculum is suitable for prospective and current medical students interested in the principles of engineering and applying it to medicine.

The students in this program will study the same curriculum as the students in the Doctor of Medicine program. However, dual-program students may choose to enroll in general education courses and/or choose to take any course from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, as approved by the program’s board of directors. Upon completion of 120 credits, as required in the Doctor of Medicine, the student will be able to apply for the Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, which will take no more than 2 years to complete. During this time, the selected candidates will continue to study the same courses as 4th-6th year medical students but will also attend seminars and prepare a thesis for the Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering degree. The Faculty of Medicine will offer 10 scholarships per academic year to students pursuing a Doctor of Medicine, to continue their studies in the Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering.

To enroll in the program, medical students in Year 1 or 2 of their academic studies can apply during the 2020 Academic Year. High school students who wish to join this program can apply through TCAS Round 1-3. Meanwhile, high school seniors can apply via TCAS63 during 17-27 April. For more information, contact the Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, via email at aamdcu@gmail.com or call 0-2252-2702, 0-2256-4478.

Professor Supot Teachavorasinskun, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering also added that the dual-degree program is a strong collaboration between the two faculties that will develop research and tackle current issues in medicine. The program is also supported by professors and faculty members of the health sciences community, including the Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and Faculty of Allied Health.

The biomedical engineering program consists of 6 research branches:

1. Medical Instruments and Biosensors

2. Biomechanics

3. Rehabilitation

4. Medical Imaging

5. Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery system

6. Bioinformatics.

In the past, the department has developed many research and innovations in collaboration with other faculties. Some of the key developments were “Engineering tissue structure for blood vessels and microneedle-controlled drug delivery”, “Parkinson smart cane with sound, light, and vibration to stimulate patient’s movements”, and the “Unipolar hip prosthesis designed for the physiology of Thai and Asian patients”.