Student Information

Facilities

The  Carilion Clinic Biodesign Program at Virginia Tech is based in Roanoke, Virginia. Our program home office is in Riverside 4, located on Carilion Clinic's Health Science and Technology campus, to facilitate easy access to educational, research and medical resources.

Student Support

Students are fully supported during their time in the program, provided they are making satisfactory progress toward their degree. Residents will receive a yearly stipend comparable to national standards (i.e., residents with their contract with Carilion Clinic). Engineers will receive a master's level graduate assistantship through Virginia Tech. Support will cover the cost of living, full tuition, student fees and a portion of health insurance. 

Program Start and Preparation

The official start of classes for Virginia Tech will begin in mid-August. However, a July boot camp is required to prepare for the program.

The boot camp includes a month-long combination of classroom and self-taught lectures and activities. Weekly sessions will be divided into Engineering Principles, Anatomy and Physiology, and Commercialization/Global Health Needs. Students will meet daily for guided instruction for several hours before breaking into self-study. More information about boot camp times and composition will be provided to students over the summer.

In addition to the boot camp, a specialty math course has been designed as a prerequisite to the program as needed. SS: BMES 5984 – Multivariable Calculus and Differential Equations in Medicine will provide the background mathematics requirements for residents and engineers to learn biomedical design fundamentals.

Living and Travel

One of the unique aspects of our program is the opportunity to have immersive experiences in all aspects of clinical settings -from the operating room to medical records systems. These opportunities to observe and assess current healthcare needs will be held in Roanoke facilities and our region's hospitals and rural clinics. In addition to the clinical immersion, our students will also experience scientific immersion in various Virginia Tech labs.  

These unique opportunities will require our students to travel to rural locations and between Virginia Tech Blacksburg and Roanoke campuses. It is anticipated that most of the time will be spent in Roanoke for classes, symposiums and the program's fabrication and commercialization aspects. Living in Roanoke is recommended for the duration of the program.

For more information about Roanoke, Virginia, or Blacksburg, please see below.

Roanoke, VA | Official Website (roanokeva.gov)

Blacksburg, VA | Home

Virginia's Blue Ridge