Ahmer V. Farooq, DO

Michael Bloom, PhD

Recommended for M1-M2 students with an interest in healthcare innovation, clinical/biomedical engineering, and systems science. A clinical M4 component is planned as a next step in a future iteration of the course.

Six sessions will be held beginning in January of each academic year. Students are expected to attend all in-person sessions. A maximum of one missed session is permitted, and an alternative assignment will be provided in the case of an absence. 

Stritch Innovate is an experiential elective that introduces medical students to needs-driven healthcare innovation using the Stanford Biodesign framework (Identify, Invent, Implement). Students work in interdisciplinary teams to identify unmet clinical needs, design human-centered solutions, and evaluate pathways for real-world implementation. Through workshops, mentorship, and a capstone project, students develop skills in design thinking, clinical problem-solving, and healthcare systems innovation. The course culminates in a final pitch of a validated solution addressing a real clinical need.

The scope of the six sessions has been intentionally narrowed so that the course functions as an introduction to the NSF and NIH Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program offered through the Loyola Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health. Aligning the curriculum with the I-Corps framework (customer discovery, problem definition, business model development, and pitch) creates a direct pathway for students to carry their capstone project forward into I-Corps programming through the Parkinson School and allows the planned M4 clinical component to build into I-Corps in future iterations.

Evaluation Based On:

a.    Students will be evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis using the following components. Students must achieve 70% overall to pass.
b.    Participation and Engagement (30%): Active involvement in workshops, discussions, team activities, and completion of assigned customer discovery interviews
c.    Capstone Project Development (40%): Includes problem definition, stakeholder and journey mapping, prototype, and implementation plan
d.    Final Pitch Presentation (20%): Evaluation of clarity, feasibility, and communication of proposed solution
e.    Reflection Assignment (10%): Written reflection on learning, professional growth, and innovation mindset