Physician Innovator Training Program Program Overview Program Leadership Message from the Directors Why Choose Our Program Curriculum & Training How to Apply Meet Our Students Contact Us Program Overview Home About Campus & Community Resources Communications & Public Relations Office Physician Innovator Training Program: Program Overview About Our Program Until UC Irvine established its Physician Innovator Training Program (PITP) in 2026, none of the 26 nationwide medical schools offering specialized curricula in innovation, engineering or entrepreneurship* belonged to the University of California system. Proud to be the first in the UC system, PITP is a joint, mission-based medical school program between the School of Medicine and the School of Engineering, designed to develop the next generation of physician-innovators and engineers. Through its foundational engineering curriculum and experiential learning opportunities, PITP trains medical students to transform medical technology concepts into real-world healthcare solutions. The program culminates in a multi-year capstone project in which students work with faculty and industry mentors to address a specific healthcare need using innovative technology, with the goal of advancing the project towards commercialization. Bringing Innovation to the Classroom Traditional medical school curricula have not included an emphasis on technology and engineering. Over the past two to three decades, healthcare innovation has evolved rapidly, underscoring the need to integrate technology education into the medical school curriculum. To address this gap, UC Irvine has become the first University of California campus to establish a joint physician innovator training program between the School of Medicine and the School of Engineering, equipping medical students with the engineering skills needed to advance healthcare technology. Four Themes of Healthcare Innovation The program is centered around the four main themes of healthcare innovation: Identification Identify unmet clinical needs and their gaps Ideation Ideate on how we can develop tools to meet those needs Innovation Innovate by creating, prototyping and refining the tools Implementation Implement innovative healthcare solutions from IP to IPO Training PITP trains medical students on the four “I”s of medical innovation through a multi-year elective and capstone project mission-based program. MS1 & MS2 Electives Students must complete the Foundations of Innovation & Engineering (FIE) Part A and Part B course elective. First-year elective: "FIE Part A" — Typically taken during the MS1 year, but MS2s are also welcome. *Priority is given to MS1s. Second-year elective: "FIE Part B" — Typically taken during the MS2 year, but MS3s are also welcome. *Priority is given to MS2s. BioENGINE Project “BioENGINE” = BioENGineering, INnovation, & Entrepreneurship BioENGINE is a nine-month group capstone in which PITP students collaborate with Biomedical Engineering (BME) senior undergraduates on a healthcare innovation project. Once the project is designed, the group will: Work under the guidance of two engineers, either faculty from the School of Medicine or industry engineers, and a healthcare provider (usually a UC Irvine physician). Attend weekly or biweekly meetings with their advisors. Compete in competitions against other successful innovators and entrepreneurs for monetary prizes that support the advancement of the project towards commercialization. Multi-year Capstone Project Students present their broader, multi-year capstone project during their MS4 year. The project can be an extension of their BioENGINE project or a different capstone altogether. Students can choose to work with a UC Irvine faculty member or an industry engineer. MS3 & MS4 Electives Students must complete the following electives during their third and fourth years. Third-year elective: "BioDesign" — asynchronous online elective Fourth-year elective: "NSF ICorps Program" Monthly Update Meetings PITP students will meet with the program director and co-directors to assess progress. Quarterly progress reports will be completed by both students and mentoring faculty. Optional: One-year of the Master of Engineering Program Although optional at this time, it is recommended that students further their engineering and technology curriculum by completing a year of study in the Master of Engineering (MEng) program between their MS3 and MS4 years. Contact Us Contact us for more information about the Physician Innovator Training Program. Get In Touch *Arias J, et al. Innovation-Oriented Medical School Curricula: Review of the Literature (2021) Cureus. PMID: 34754659