Innovations in medical and patient care technologies, MS

There are overlaps with the current Accelerated Master’s and traditional MS in BME applications. You may choose to transfer/duplicate certain materials. We require a separate application (but not an additional application fee) to the IMPACT program, however this does not interfere with any of your on-going or accepted applications into SBHSE.

Students should apply to IMPACT with: 

• Personal statement (two page maximum).
• Two professional letters of recommendation that can attest to your academic achievement, professional experience, and potential for success in the masters program.
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV).
• Official transcripts.
• Proof of English proficiency.
• Short response (½ page) to the following prompt: Describe an innovative idea you had, its inspiration, challenges faced, and how you overcame them.

Once the applications are received, they will be held until the end of the application cycle. The IMPACT Committee will review the applications and invite select applicants for a virtual or in-person 30 min interview. Applicants not invited for interviews will be informed.

Applicants will be notified of acceptance one week after their interview and given two weeks to accept or decline their offer into the IMPACT MS. Select applicants will be placed on a “waitlist.” If there are declined offers, we will promptly notify applicants on the waitlist and they will be given an opportunity to decline/accept.

Students will be onboarded into the Mayo Clinic system as a “visiting graduate student.” This occurs promptly after acceptance and may take up to two months to complete. Students will receive an email from Mayo Clinic that will take them through the onboarding process. Prompt acceptance of the offer is strongly encouraged to allow for onboarding time.

IMPACT is an immersive experience. It requires creativity, a strong passion for problem-solving and commitment. At first, we will accommodate small cohorts in order to facilitate team growth and development, and clinician-capabilities at Mayo Clinic.

Yes! We will happily review future applications from previous applicants.

• Highly motivated individuals with a bachelor’s degree or higher in biomedical engineering or equivalent training.
• Students with an entrepreneurial spirit, an open learning mindset, and a drive to improve healthcare by advancing medical technology.

Graduates of the IMPACT MS acquire a skill set of design thinking, cross-disciplinary collaboration, medical device development, market strategy and business acumen, which can be applied across  a wide array of industries and roles. Graduates will have a competitive edge for opportunities ranging from healthcare innovation and medical device development to consulting, entrepreneurship, and policy. The IMPACT MS also provides a strong foundation for further academic pursuits, such as PhD degree programs. Examples of specific opportunities for IMPACT MS graduates are below.

Industries

• Medical Device
• Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals
• Healthcare Startups/Entrepreneurship
• Venture Capital and Investment
• Healthcare Consulting
• Health Systems and Providers
• Research Institutions/ Academia Policy and Advocacy
• Corporate Innovation
• Digital Health and Software Solutions
• Global Health and Nonprofit Organizations
• USPTO (US patent and trademark office)/FDA

Roles

• Co-founder/CEO of MedTech Startup
• Startup Advisor
• Operations Manager
• Market Research Analyst/Market development manager
• Product Manager/Engineer
• Product Development Manager
• Health Informatics Specialist
• Design Engineer
• Regulatory Affairs Specialist
• Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Manager
• Business Development Manager
• Research and Development (R&D) Scientist/ Engineer
• Research Scientist
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Venture Capitalist
• Investment Analyst
• Healthcare Innovation Consultant
• Hospital C-Suite OfficerHospital Innovation Officer
• Clinical Product Specialist
• Health Policy Analyst
• Regulatory Policy Advisor
• Corporate Innovation Manager
• Strategic Partnerships Manager

Yes! You will have to apply to the IMPACT MS, but should not need to pay another application fee or re-submit documents that have already been received (i.e. official transcripts, letters of recommendation [unless desired]). The cohort will be eight to twelve students.

No. If you have been accepted as an Accelerated Master’s student and are interested in switching to IMPACT, you will need to submit a new application and this will still be a competitive process. Your application will be reviewed alongside other IMPACT applications.

You will need to submit a new application for IMPACT and therefore your application will be optimized for this degree program based on the program specific documents which you will have the opportunity to provide (i.e. an optimized personal statement).

You would submit an application to the IMPACT program. You must be accepted into IMPACT (pending interview) in order to transfer.

• What if I applied to the BME MS program but also apply to IMPACT and then I don’t get accepted?
• Your acceptance into the BME MS program will still be valid so if you’d like to pursue that degree, we’d be happy to have you!

This depends. If your elective credits apply to your undergraduate degree requirements, then no, they will not count towards your IMPACT MS. If the elective credits do not apply to the undergraduate degree, your elective credits may count towards your IMPACT MS pending IMPACT Program Chair approval. Roberto Reynoso, SBHSE’s graduate advisor, will be able to assist you with initiating this program chair review.

This would be a discussion with your advisor. You would most likely need to take a leave of absence from your PhD program if already in progress. If you have not yet started the PhD program and your advisor is willing to wait for you to join their lab, you would need to defer your application to that PhD program for a future term. IMPACT is not an eligible program for a masters-in-passing, and requires a financial commitment.

Your application would remain active, but you should have a conversation with your faculty advisor about your plans so that they agree to hold your spot in their lab and any associated funding agreements should you end up wanting to move forward with the PhD acceptance.

• You can do IMPACT when you return from deployment. IMPACT requires a 3 semester continuous commitment: fall, spring and summer.

You are welcome to reapply for the following fall term. This program does not have application options for a spring or summer start due to the cohort structure of the degree.

Yes, you can, although you will need to apply to the IMPACT program to initiate this transfer. The SBHSE Advising Office can assist you with understanding which credits are eligible to map over to the IMPACT program.

A personal vehicle is required to get to Mayo Clinic. You are welcome to organize a carpool with your fellow students.

There is no shuttle service.

IMPACT does its best to avoid a back-and-forth schedule. During fall (which is the most clinically immersive portion of the program) IMPACT is scheduled for M/W/F at the Mayo Clinic, and Tues/Thurs at the ASU Tempe campus.

Parking is free at Mayo Clinic (Phoenix location) in the Visitor Lot and in certain places at the Health Futures Center.

Parking is not free at ASU and is subject to lot-specific fees.

The application is $70. If you have already paid an application fee to SBHSE for the current semester (i.e. BME MS or BME PhD), you do not have to pay a second time for IMPACT.

This is subject to residency status. Please reference this website: https://catalog.asu.edu/tuitionandfees.

This is a three-semester program, does the program cost more than a regular master’s degree because it’s three semesters and not two?

If you are an Accelerated Master’s student, yes this program costs more because of the additional semester. However, this is still financially less than a traditional two-year MS program.

There is no financial aid available specifically for IMPACT. General financial aid options applicable to any graduate school program or Fulton Schools scholarship funding for graduate school could be potential funding sources.

The FAFSA can still be filed for this upcoming academic year. If you do not already have a FAFSA filed, you would want to make this your next step to see if any federal aid options are available to you.

Yes, you will be working at the Mayo Clinic Phoenix campus and developing mentor-mentee relationships with Mayo clinicians.

IMPACT is an academic program. International students will be attending on F-1 or J-1 visas. Since IMPACT is a STEM program, you would be eligible for post-OPT as well as the STEM OPT extension to support your ability to remain in the U.S. and receive work authorization for the OPT time period. Please confirm with the ISSC, pending changes to federal regulations.

Students will be networking constantly with Mayo clinicians and industry mentors. However, post-IMPACT opportunities are the responsibility of the student.

Current IP and the IMPACT experience should be kept separate for easiest and cleanest resolution. IMPACT can help validate existing needs that have been identified and help you learn the process of innovation. However, IMPACT is a team based experience and any IP created in this experience is owned by the institutions.

You cannot take a current project to IMPACT. With your clinical mentors, IMPACT faculty, and students within your team, you will narrow down a design-need from hundreds of developed needs. This process will give you a toolkit that you can then apply to your other projects.

You are welcome to continue research collaborations during the program, however IMPACT is a full-time degree program. It may be difficult for you to do additional work outside of the expectations of the program.

Similar to the above question, we ask for a flexible approach to IMPACT. Your interests can inform the needs that you develop, however we ask for an open-minded approach.