Experiential Learning
Learning Beyond the Classroom
The Physician Innovator Program emphasizes learning through experience. Rather than relying solely on lectures, participants engage in authentic healthcare environments where observation, collaboration, and implementation become the primary teachers.
Every experiential activity is intentionally connected to the participant's stage of development as a Physician Innovator.
Innovation Bootcamp
PI-1
The program begins with an immersive introduction to healthcare innovation.
Participants are introduced to:
- Design Thinking
- Human-Centered Design
- Systems Thinking
- Observation Techniques
- Team Formation
- Innovation Frameworks
The Bootcamp establishes a common language and shared innovation mindset for every participant entering the program.
Innovation Rounds
Innovation begins by learning to observe.
Participants join faculty to examine clinical environments through the perspective of innovation rather than diagnosis.
Activities include:
- Clinical workflow observation
- Stakeholder interviews
- Process mapping
- Needs identification
- Opportunity recognition
Innovation Rounds teach participants to recognize unmet needs before proposing solutions.
Design Workshops
PI-1
Participants learn structured methods for transforming observations into opportunities.
Topics include:
- Design Thinking
- Brainstorming
- Prioritization
- Stakeholder Mapping
- Journey Mapping
- Concept Development
- Rapid Prototyping
These workshops prepare participants to develop their Innovation Capstone Proposal.
Austere Healthcare Innovation Experience
PI-1 and PI-2
Innovation Through Immersion
Some healthcare challenges cannot be fully understood from a conference room or simulation laboratory.
The Austere Healthcare Innovation Experience places participants in resource-constrained clinical environments where innovation is driven by necessity, creativity, and close partnership with local communities.
Working alongside clinicians, patients, community leaders, and interdisciplinary collaborators, participants observe healthcare delivery under conditions of limited infrastructure, constrained resources, and unique cultural contexts.
These experiences encourage participants to question assumptions, recognize unmet needs, and develop solutions grounded in the realities of care delivery.
PI-1 Experience: Discovery
The emphasis is observation and understanding.
Participants learn to:
- Observe without immediately proposing solutions
- Conduct contextual interviews
- Understand local workflows
- Identify health system barriers
- Develop culturally informed Needs Statements
- Work effectively within interdisciplinary teams
The goal is not to solve every problem but to understand it deeply enough to define meaningful opportunities for innovation.
PI-2 Experience: Translation
Participants may return to the same or a similar environment to validate, refine, or pilot their capstone project.
Activities may include:
- Prototype evaluation
- Stakeholder feedback
- Workflow refinement
- Implementation planning
- Outcome evaluation
- Knowledge exchange with local collaborators
This second experience demonstrates that innovation is an iterative process built on long-term relationships rather than one-time interventions.
Innovation Symposium
PI-2
Participants present their work to physicians, engineers, educators, healthcare leaders, industry partners, and community collaborators.
Presentations may include:
- Needs Assessments
- Innovation Projects
- Prototypes
- Implementation Plans
- Quality Improvement Initiatives
- Artificial Intelligence Applications
- Medical Device Concepts
- Health Equity Initiatives
The Symposium celebrates the completion of the Physician Innovator journey while providing opportunities for feedback, collaboration, publication, and future implementation.
The Austere Healthcare Innovation Experience
Learning Innovation Where Resources Are Limited
Healthcare innovation often emerges where resources are most constrained.
The Austere Healthcare Innovation Experience is an immersive educational experience that challenges participants to observe healthcare through a different lens. Rather than focusing on technology alone, participants explore how culture, geography, economics, infrastructure, and human relationships influence the delivery of care.
The experience is not a medical mission. It is an innovation laboratory.
Participants engage with local clinicians, health workers, patients, educators, and community leaders to understand healthcare needs in context and to develop sustainable, locally relevant approaches to improvement.
Educational Goals
Participants learn to:
- Observe before acting
- Understand context before designing solutions
- Practice cultural humility
- Work within interdisciplinary teams
- Recognize the effects of resource constraints
- Develop solutions appropriate to local environments
- Build long-term collaborative relationships
Learning Progression
PI-1: Discovery
Participants focus on observation, needs assessment, and problem framing. The emphasis is understanding healthcare systems and identifying opportunities for innovation without prematurely proposing solutions.
PI-2: Translation
Participants revisit their projects through implementation, validation, or refinement. The emphasis shifts toward testing ideas, gathering stakeholder feedback, and evaluating practical impact.
Why Austere Settings?
Resource-limited environments make healthcare systems visible. Constraints that are often hidden in well-resourced settings become apparent, revealing opportunities for innovation that are transferable to many healthcare contexts. These experiences help participants develop adaptable problem-solving skills and a deeper appreciation for designing solutions that are practical, equitable, and sustainable.