Medical device development is a highly complex, capital-intensive endeavor. It requires major stakeholders from different areas of expertise—including academics, clinicians, regulators, investors, and industry professionals—to work closely together to develop new therapies efficiently.
To address this need, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth Health have established 3D Scholars—a one-year certificate program that is now accepting applications for the program starting in September of 2025—that equips physicians with an advanced understanding of the field to drive progress in medical device development.
The new certificate program builds on the success of the Dartmouth Device Development (3D) Symposium, established more than 20 years ago. Led by Aaron Kaplan, MD, this annual forum has provided an opportunity for stakeholders within the device development ecosystem to exchange ideas and address common challenges as they strive to bring new lifesaving and life-improving products to market.
“The growing demands on our healthcare system, brought about by an aging population and shrinking resources, requires us to accelerate the development of new technologies to better meet the medical needs of our patients,” explains Kaplan. A professor of medicine at Geisel and an interventional cardiologist at Dartmouth Health’s Heart and Vascular Center, Kaplan is an active medical device entrepreneur who has authored more than 65 U.S. patents.
“One of the key lessons we’ve learned is that there’s a need for physicians, who understand the rapidly changing clinical environment best, to guide the development process,” adds Kaplan, who is serving as co-director of the new program along with Emily Zeitler, MD, MHS, an associate professor of medicine at Geisel and a cardiac electrophysiologist at Dartmouth Health.
“The 3D Scholars program was created to bridge a critical gap,” says Zeitler. “Clinicians need better medical options at the bedside, while the medical device industry faces challenges in understanding real-world clinical needs. This program connects both sides to drive innovation.”
Designed specifically to address the unique challenges of device development, the 3D Scholars curriculum covers topics related to innovation, legal, venture capital, regulatory, and manufacturing. The program faculty features internationally recognized professors from the Tuck School of Business and Geisel. Scholars must commit to full participation in five retreats—at partner sites including the FDA and Fogarty Innovation, among others—and monthly virtual seminars.
The program is targeting six scholars in its first year and will aim to cap its enrollment at a dozen scholars by its third year. 3D Scholar candidates will be early-to-mid-career active clinicians from device-driven fields who have completed their clinical training. Tuition costs for the program are approximately $52,000 USD, and scholarship funding will be available for scholars who do not have financial support from their home institution.
In addition to the retreats and seminars, for their capstone project 3D Scholars will be assigned a mock device for which they will develop a clinical and regulatory development plan. The project will culminate with a simulated FDA pre-submission meeting. Scholars will be guided through the process by a designated group of advisors and will then be considered graduates of the program.
For more information about the 3D Scholars program, contact Joanie Moritz-Smith at: Joan.M.Moritz-Smith@hitchcock.org or at 603-653-3685.
