The John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering welcomed its inaugural class of 36 students from across the country to the Downtown Phoenix campus this fall.
The school offers its attendees an academic experience unlike that of a typical medical school. At the conclusion of their time, students will earn a doctorate of medicine and a master's degree in medical engineering.
This dual-degree element of the Shufeldt School was a major selling point for members of the inaugural class, including Cody Pham, a medical student who studied computer science in undergrad and had a previous career in the technology industry before coming to ASU.
Pham said the dual-degree program made ASU an attractive option when searching for medicine-related programs.
A driving force behind the structure of the Shufeldt School was the reality of new technologies and artificial intelligence entering the medical field.
"That's really the spirit behind ASU's strategic decision in launching a medical school: to be not like a traditional medical school but be a medical school for the future, for where the field of medicine is going — where technology is a core element of medicine, not an add-on," said Dr. Holly Lisanby, the founding dean of the Shufeldt School.
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Lisanby said ASU is not the only university to have implemented this blend of both medical and engineering education. However, Dr. David Sklar, a professor in the Shufeldt School, said the school is distinct in its timeline – the program takes students just four years to complete, rather than adding any time to the traditional timeline of medical school.
This condensed timeline has helped to guide the structure of the curriculum offered by the school.
Sklar said for students to complete both degrees, they simultaneously learn medical and engineering concepts.
Pham has seen this overlap in the medical and engineering sides of the coursework first-hand. He explained his experience of learning about the engineering behind an electrocardiogram, a test used to check the heartbeat, while also learning about the anatomy of the heart itself in his medical classes.
Lisanby also experienced this same overlap in her previous work and research in brain stimulation, during which she often collaborated with engineers in her labs.
Though the Shufeldt School's first class is earning degrees in engineering and medicine, Sklar said those areas of study won't be the only things students will learn about.
"(Students) are also learning how the humanities might integrate into our education," Sklar said. "We don't want our students to be engineers and doctors without also having the ability to see the bigger picture, which comes from humanities."
Each of these elements of the school's curriculum factors into a broader goal that both Lisanby and Sklar highlighted: addressing the medical needs of Arizona.
Lisanby said the vast geography of Arizona, coupled with shortages in healthcare providers, has left many areas of the state underserved, which contributes to Arizona's health outcomes ranking poorly compared to other U.S states.
It is with these issues in mind that Lisanby hopes the Shufeldt School can make a positive impact on the state of medicine and healthcare in Arizona by bridging medicine with new technology through engineering.
"That may include digital trackers, enhanced versions of telemedicine, using AI tools to help a physician identify who in their patient panel is at risk for having a complication before the complication happens," Lisanby said. "These sorts of tools help clinicians scale access to high-quality care."
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Pham said the relatively small size of the inaugural class has kept the environment comfortable. The group's collaboration and support make the learning experience better for everyone.
Beyond the size of the class, the bonds formed between students and faculty could be attributed to their shared passion for the two studies the school bridges together, Sklar said.
"At other medical schools, if you had an engineering and a medical interest, you might have trouble finding mentors, people who will help you with research and maybe with developing products," Sklar said. "Here, you're going to have that."
Edited by Dhemi Bell, Carsten Oyer and Sophia Keeling.
Reach the reporter at sluba@asu.edu and follow @samluba6 on X.
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Sam Luba is the Lead Community and Culture Reporter at The State Press. He is a junior studying political science and justice studies with a certificate in political history and leadership. This is his fifth semester with The State Press, working previously as a Senior Reporter and part-time Politics reporter.
