Preparing the Clinical Engineers of the Next Millennium

Academic clinical engineering programs should be designed to provide students with the technical skills and critical thinking abilities necessary to become successful professionals. The success of clinical engineers depends not only on their ability to solve current problems, but also to anticipate their future needs. Employers today demand professionals with a broad knowledge, not limited only to technical aspects. The role of clinical engineers in the healthcare system is continuously changing, and consequently, academic programs should also change accordingly. This paper describes the current academic requirements and approaches of clinical engineering and how these may change in the near future.