Medical Design Club (MDC) was founded in 2012 by Brian Murphy to provide a space for Cal Poly students to gain experience working in interdisciplinary groups and have the chance to see their own ideas for medical devices to fruition. Funny enough, we're not actually a club, and operate as an Instructionally-Related Activity (IRA), giving us greater access to funding and allowing us to provide a more enriching educational opportunity to all of our members. Throughout the organization's time, our projects have confronted a diverse set of medical issues and have helped students get a more encompassing view of the design process outside of the classroom. We meet weekly for workshops, socials, or general meetings to provide educational opportunities and build community among students interested in medical design. Our group's room is located in the Cal Poly Hanger (Room 04-201) and our faculty advisor is Professor Ben Hawkins, who is a faculty member of the BMED and EE departments.
As an organization we bring together interdisciplinary teams and offer them the resources and skills necessary to identify and answer challenges in the medical community. We strive to inspire innovation and provide opportunities for our members to gain independence, experience, and leadership skills.
Since my first year at Cal Poly was completely online, I decided to join MDC to get a more hands-on experience that I wasn’t getting in my online classes. MDC helped me get involved and strengthened my technical skills despite meeting online. One thing I really like about MDC is the variety of projects to choose from. There is almost always a project that can fit your interests—whether your interest is in biomedical, mechanical, electrical, software, materials, or more. I decided to join the EpiPen Redesign project because I enjoy mechanical design and 3D printing. 3D printing has been a hobby of mine for a while, so I implemented this skill into printing prototypes for projects in MDC. Overall, MDC is a great learning experience for people of all backgrounds and I look forward to seeing MDC grow as a club this year.
During my first year at Cal Poly, I began attending different biomedical engineering clubs, and along the way, I began participating in MDC’s Seizure Prediction Device project. I like that MDC gives off this feeling of inclusion by creating year-long projects where anybody who is interested can join. These experiences in MDC have allowed me to form connections with many different individuals with varying majors, as well as prepared me to look for other opportunities in the future. At the moment, my goal is to pursue medicine while at the same time gaining a vast knowledge in biomedical engineering. I am currently an active volunteer at French Hospital and am training to become an EMT at Cuesta College. Outside of school, I have always enjoyed playing soccer and making music on my alto saxophone.
I am a fourth-year electrical engineering student who loves health and fitness, engineering, med devices, and everything in between! I came to MDC to pursue my passion for electrical and mechanical systems engineering, and I became an officer to help other students do the same. I am the MDC treasurer as well as a team member on the Automated Pill Dispenser project. Outside of school, I love running, cycling, and woodworking.
I chose to get more involved with MDC because I love being able to engineer new devices that can potentially aid the medical community. I enjoy being a part of a club that pushes its members to expand their creativity and use their newfound engineering skills to develop medical design concepts and functioning prototypes. I hope all club members can experience the teamwork, collaboration, and support that MDC provides.
I’m currently a biomedical engineering major with a concentration in mechanical design, and in the future I want to work in healthcare research and regenerative medicine, dealing with infectious and chronic illnesses. I joined MDC as a freshman because I wanted to be involved in the BMED community at Cal Poly SLO, and since then I have been a part of the Electrolyte Monitor Project. This club drew me in because of its inclusivity, hands on experiences, and encouraging members. Also, I really enjoyed the club’s overall structure and the student-led activities, workshops, and projects. Outside of school, I enjoy painting, cooking, hiking, and learning instruments.
Professor Hawkins received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from CSU Fresno in 2005 and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University in 2011. Hawkins taught at San Jose State University (SJSU) in the Biomedical, Chemical, and Materials Engineering Department. Throughout his time at SJSU, he worked on undergraduate and graduate projects that lie at the intersection between Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, focusing on the use of microfluidics to determine the efficacy and effect of antibiotic treatments on bacterial biofilms. As an Assistant Professor at Cal Poly, Dr. Ben Hawkins works for both the BMED and EE departments lending his extensive knowledge in the subjects he taught as SJSU and more. As a part of MDC, Hawkins works alongside our board to provide project, financial, and administrative guidance to help us give our members the best possible experience. Thanks for all of your help Dr. Hawkins!