IIT Madras launches Department of Medical Sciences & Technology

Admission will be through IISER Aptitude Test (IAT). Candidates must have cleared Class 12 (or equivalent) exam with science stream in 2022 or 2023 from any board recognised by Council of Boards of Department Education in India.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has launched a Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, which will offer four-year BS program in medical sciences and engineering. This course will be a first-of-its-kind in India.

The department was launched today (11th May 2023) in the presence of Lakshmi Narayanan, Co-Founder, Cognizant, Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras. The course offers an interdisciplinary approach to prepare students for designing life-saving medical devices, drug discovery, artificial intelligence in medicine, and fundamental medical research. The department will train physicians to effectively apply technology in their clinical practice and lay the foundation for physician-scientists training in India.

Top medical docs to be ‘Professors of Practice’ in dept

Top medical doctors in India and abroad, who were also closely involved in the development of the curriculum, will be ‘Professors of Practice’ in this department, which has already established tie-ups with premier hospitals and medical institutions in India.

Addressing the inaugural function, Lakshmi Narayanan, Co-Founder, Cognizant, said, “Collaborative research in medical sciences can catapult India to a global leader in clinical outcomes. Our leadership in Space, nuclear, digital and biotechnology has demonstrated our research capability and potential. Extending this capability to Medicine is a natural next step.” 
Innovation can be found at the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, chemistry, micro biomes, cognitive science and such other sciences. Investment in such collaborative research and practice is sure to produce outstanding clinical results.”

The goal is to establish an exceptional research facility for medical sciences and technology to develop and train ‘physician-scientists’ and engineering physiologists to become the future leaders in their fields. The new department will conduct both fundamental and applied research programs that connect various medical disciplines.

By providing the necessary resources and platform, IIT Madras hope to enable researchers to create innovative technologies that will improve the lives of patients for generations to come. The Institute also aims to establish an exceptional research facility for medical sciences and technology to develop and train physician-scientists and engineering physiologists to become the future leaders in their fields.

The institute will also conduct both fundamental and applied research programs that connect various medical disciplines. By providing the necessary resources and platform, we hope to enable our researchers to create innovative technologies that will improve the lives of patients for generations to come.

Addressing the launch event, Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “During the COVID outbreak in India, it became evident that we needed to incorporate technology into medicine to effectively handle similar situations in the future as a country. Though we hope such challenges never arise again, this intervention will be crucial in defining our response.”

He added, “Our mission is to unite professionals from medicine and technology to create ground-breaking solutions for medical issues that were once unsolvable. Our aim is to improve treatment options and revolutionize healthcare. Continuing our mission of IITM for ALL, we aspire to provide technological interventions in the field of medicine that shall enable quality and affordable Medicare to reach every citizen of our country.”

Department of Medical Sciences & Technology will offer following courses:

• BS in Medical Sciences & Engineering (4 Year Programme)
• PhD Programme for Doctors
• MS by Research for Doctors
• MS in Medical Sciences and Engineering
• PhD Programme for Science & Engineering Graduates

Highlighting the unique aspects of this program, Prof Boby George, Head, Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Madras, said, “With this interdisciplinary approach to improve the healthcare outcomes by leveraging engineering and medical knowledge, new technologies can be developed that monitor vital parameters of various organs, detects signs of disease, and help to provide targeted prevention and treatment options. As engineering and medicine continue to converge, the possibilities are endless.”

Course Coordinator, Prof. R. Krishna Kumar, Institute Professor, IIT Madras, said, “The admission procedure will be through IISER Aptitude Test (IAT). Candidates must have cleared Class XII (or equivalent) examination with science stream in 2022 or 2023 from any board recognized by Council of Boards of Department Education in India.”

Further information and updates could be obtained from the Department Website - https://mst.iitm.ac.in/. Prof R Krishna Kumar added, “Imagine you are able to create a digital twin of a patient and try out various treatment options or surgical procedures. Your treatment advice may be a vital input for the treating physician or surgeon and save precious lives. The course will train you to be an important link in the future of clinical practice.”  

Doctors involved in IIT Madras BS program

Dr Ajit S Mullasari, Director of Cardiology, Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases, Madras Medical Mission, said, “This will be a great platform for the passing out graduates to work in hospitals and in departments which are clinical. They will be exposed to a lot of the medical technology, patient care and adapt it to use it for products and licences so that we can build infrastructure in this country for delivering better healthcare.”

Dr KR Balakrishnan, Chairman, Institute of Cardiac Sciences and Director, Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support, MGM Healthcare, said, “I am delighted to be a part of the BS program in Medical Sciences and Engineering. This fills a long standing need in the country to bring together the two disciplines for the progress of basic health issues. I wish that the research program results in path breaking work in the field of medical sciences.”

Dr Karthik Kailash, Professor and Head, Spine Surgery, Sri Ramachandra University, said, “This course is a boon for many, many youngsters who have got aspirations to doing newer and lateral thinking projects. Additionally, this is going to be engineering medicine, which is going to be a key game-changer for youngsters in this part of the world.”

Dr C Kesavadas, Deputy Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram said, “It is indeed heartening to hear that our country’s prestigious educational institution, IIT Madras, is starting the new teaching program leading to PhD and BS qualifications for creating Physician-scientists. Blending clinical care with biomedical/ laboratory research can be both challenging and stimulating for the professionals who take up this career path. The teaching program and manpower created will promote closer interactions between clinicians, engineers & scientists which in turn can result in a better understanding of disease & its management strategies.” 

Read more: 

• ICSE 10th Result 2023 @cisce.org; Check Live Updates on ICSE Class 10 results  
• MHT CET 2023 May 10 exam ends, check paper analysis, student reaction here