This program offers a unique integration of biomedical engineering with surgical and medical applications, providing hands-on experience with advanced technology like the robotic da Vinci Surgical System and clinical immersion experiences.
The SHARP! (Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program) is an 11-month, research-intensive program with a six-week summer component, immersing high school students (minimum age 16) in contemporary biomedical investigation at the interface of AI, robotics, and tissue engineering. Students engage in daily laboratory research under the guidance of a scientist mentor, gaining hands-on experience in biomedical techniques, robotic surgery simulation, and emergency medical skills. The program includes scientific lectures, career mentorship, and collaborative biomedical engineering projects. Participants learn biological and biomedical methods through hands-on research and afternoon workshops, maintaining detailed lab notebooks and developing an understanding of hypothesis testing and practical bench skills. The six-week summer experience culminates in student research presentations at the SHARP! Symposium. During the academic year, participants serve as team leads for multidisciplinary high school groups competing in the annual Biomed Breakthrough Challenge, addressing clinically relevant biomedical problems by applying engineering principles and medical knowledge to design and refine innovative solutions. They also design and implement a two-part science education program for underserved 6th-grade students, focusing on a biomedical topic, to inspire younger students and develop their own teaching and communication skills. Successful completion of the program, including embedded accredited academic components, culminates in the award of three undergraduate credit hours through the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Mornings and most afternoons are spent in apprenticeship at research laboratories, with students convening at 12 pm for a daily lunch talk that includes scientific discussions and other activities.
The program is ideally suited for high school students who are inquisitive and curious about the world around them, want to try new things, meet new people, and use their heads and hands to solve problems, particularly those interested in pursuing careers in biomedical engineering, surgery, or medicine.
University of Illinois Chicago Medical Campus; Surgical Innovation Training Laboratory, SITL, 912 South Wood Street, Chicago
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