NYCU Physician-Engineer Module "Opening A New Peak" by Stan Shih

GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING     2021/04/23

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, merged in February this year, became the first university in Taiwan with medical education research, technology training, and industry connection with abundant resources. Stan Shih, the founder of Acer and the alumni of NYCU, points out that Taiwan needs cross-domain leaders to lead the future of Taiwan. Therefore, the Physician-Engineer Module in NYCU trains physicians who can research future digital medical technologies, start up a company, and lead. These doctors can become the next industrial peak in Taiwan after the IC industry.

Stan Shih also said that Taiwan has the world''s leading ICT and IC industries, and now it''s the time for these youngsters, who chose this new study domain, to help Taiwan contribute to human beings in the next generation. They are expected to integrate the medical resource in Taiwan and create higher value by combining Smart Healthcare and electronic medical materials, using the advantages in both domains.

The founding of the Physician-Engineer Module gathers the elite education groups and courses in the School of Medicine of Yangming Campus and the College of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Guangfu Campus. The department provides a cross-domain program in both medical studies and electrical and computer engineering. Within the six-year of pursuing the degree, students need to spend the first two years in Guangfu Campus to complete the courses in the College of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Then, students need to spend the latter four years studying in the School of Medicine.

Meanwhile, NYCU is creating industrial mentorship from the technology industry, providing internships during summers and international medical institution visits. Two annual gatherings with the industrial mentors will also be host each year to establish industry connections and improve the abilities of international collaborations.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the School of Medicine are the top choices for high-school students majoring in science and biology. These two research domains have their own irreplaceable professions. However, technologies nowadays exist outside the Science Park, and the public can no longer be satisfied with ordinary consuming electronic products. For example, a SmartWatch that can provide health monitoring and diagnosis is more attractive to those which can only tell the caller''s ID. Similarly, healthcare nowadays depends on more than doctors'' diagnoses. The trend of the future includes AI-assisted diagnoses with Big Data and subhealth management.

Stan Shih emphasizes that only cross-domain collaborations between healthcare and technologies can create a sustainable future in the new era of healthcare-technology industries. He pointed out that the founding of the Physician-Engineer Module creates a new impression combining a benevolent, diligent doctor and a practical engineer. He hopes that through the guidance of industrial mentors, NYCU can train future cross-domain leaders in both the healthcare and technology industry.