1-Year
Certificate Program

LEVERAGING EXCELLENCE FACILITATING INNOVATION IMPACTING LIVES

3D SCHOLARS PROGRAM

CLINICIAN LEADERS
WITH A SOPHISTICATED UNDERSTANDING OF MEDICAL DEVICE DEVELOPMENT

The growing demands on our healthcare system, driven by an aging population and limited resources, necessitate new technologies to more effectively meet our patients' medical needs.

To this end, we must develop partnerships among academic medicine, regulators, and industry to efficiently develop new therapies. This requires a corps of active clinicians with a sophisticated understanding of the medical device development process.

Dartmouth is leading this effort
to address this widely recognized need.

3D SYMPOSIUM
How we got here

For over twenty years, Dartmouth Health, and the Geisel School of Medicine, has convened a unique and preeminent annual think tank meeting for the medical device ecosystem which includes leaders representing the clinical, business, governmental, financial and legal sectors.

The 3D Symposium led by Dr. Aaron Kaplan, Professor of Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine, is an internationally respected program. This annual forum provides an opportunity to exchange ideas and address common challenges as a community – academics, clinicians, regulators, investors, industry-strives to bring new life-saving technologies to market.

Building on the success of the Symposium, the Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth Health is establishing the 3D Scholars Program at Dartmouth with the goal of advancing the medical device development process to improve the health of our patients.

2024 - 3D Symposium
Hanover NH

What the year looks like

Our mission is to empower talented professionals with the specialized knowledge and practical skills necessary to make meaningful contributions to the medical device industry. Through collaboration with industry leaders, fellows will gain real-world insights and experience.

Dartmouth / Boot Camp / 3D symposium

Washington DC / Policy & Regulatory

Bay Area / Fogarty Innovation

Minneapolis, St Paul / Manufacturing

Dartmouth / Capstone / Graduation

Apply Now

Program Structure

Duration: 12 Months
Program Format: Hybrid, Five 4-day Retreats & 6 Virtual Seminars
Graduation: Capstone Project Presentation

Curriculum Highlights

This 12-month program focuses on device development issues related to Regulatory Policy, Payor, Patents, Innovation, Start-up, Manufacturing, Venture Capital.

Innovation and Problem Solving:
Onsite retreat to equip fellows with tools for creative problem-solving in a regulated environment, focusing on the practical challenges faced in product design, prototyping, and testing, refining product design while balancing user needs, engineering feasibility, and regulatory requirements.

Payor and Regulatory Pathways:
Onsite at the FDA, regulators will engage on topics such as, preclinical considerations, clinical studies, evidence evaluation, post-market authorization, AI and digital medical devices. At CMS, relevant topics will include, CMS authority and benefits categories, basics of coding, local vs national coverage, Medicaid 101 and dually eligible benefits.

Large Corporation Perspective:
Onsite training on product development, (bench to animal); early feasibility, pivotal, and post-market clinical studies; the global perspective, and crafting a market entry strategy, including pricing, reimbursement, and go-to-market considerations.

Manufacturing:

Onsite visit to a manufacturer including a floor tour will expose Scholars to lessons on supply chain, material sourcing, and manufacturing processes.

Funding:

Onsite visit to a leading investment bank covering, the analyst role, IPO process and M & A.

Capstone:

Each Scholar will be assigned a device for which they will create a development plan and prepare a mock 510(k) regulatory submission. Each Scholar will be assigned an external mentor. The development plan will be critiqued by FDA reviewers and industry experts.

Virtual Seminars

Who Should Apply

3D-Scholars will be active clinicians from device driven fields.

Established board eligible/certified practicing physician

Must be a US Citizen.

Scholars must commit to 100% participation in the five retreats and monthly seminars as well as individual work.

The 3D Initiative is committed to recruiting Scholars from diverse backgrounds including physicians practicing in diverse care settings with clinical expertise in device reliant specialties.

How to Apply

Key Information

Tuition

- $51,750 USD Includes tuition, program
materials, accommodations and most
meals.

- Tuition Assistance Program
(Download Form)

Logistics

- Travel to each Location is not included.

- CME is available

Residency

- Please note that at this time, due to
restricted funding, we are unable to
provide visa sponsorship.

Position availability

- We are currently accepting
applications for the 2025-2026
academic year.

Questions? Ask,

Joanie Moritz-Smith, Program Manager

Joanie.Moritz-Smith@hitchcock.org

Accepting Applications

Application Requirements

To apply for the 3D Scholar Program, please prepare the following materials.

1. Personal Statement (not to exceed1
page) describing why you want to
train as 3D Scholar and your relevant
qualifications

2. Biography (250 words or less)

3. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

4. Two Reference Letters

a. Mentor/Supervisor

b. Peer

5. Letter from Chief or equivalent
including the following.
a. Attestation that the Scholar will
have the time to attend all
program activities

b. Support for Tuition of $51,750 USD

6. Attestations of (check box in application)

a. commitment to attend all retreats
& seminars

b. US Citizenship/US Resident

8. Tuition Assistance Application

Apply Now

Why become a 3D Scholar

The 3D Scholars Program designed by Dartmouth Health and Geisel School of Medicine will give practicing clinicians the opportunity to be immersed in the complex process of medical device development, preparing them for leadership roles in this critical field

1-Year
Certificate Program

Concrete skills to bring a medical device to market

Gain expertise from a targeted curriculum that combines the strengths of medical device leaders in regulatory, policy & innovation. The 3D Scholars program equips physicians with an advanced understanding of the field to drive progress in medical device development while also shaping the future of the industry. Designed specifically to address the unique challenges of device development, the 3D Scholars curriculum covers topics related to device development including: innovation, legal, venture capital, regulatory, and manufacturing.

Collaborate with renowned faculty, innovators and a talented, diverse community of peers

The 3D Scholars program at Dartmouth will lead the way in education for advancing the medical device ecosystems. The faculty, features internationally recognized professors from the Tuck School of Business and the Geisel School of Medicine as well as partners in the device development field from across the country all of whom are fully dedicated the success of the 3D Scholars.

Partners from the FDA, CMS, Fogarty Innovation, and the medical device industry will provide targeted expertise and networking to promote exploration into the medical device ecosystem during the program and beyond.

Each cohort will bring together a remarkable and diverse group of professionals—physicians, regulators, payers, innovators and policymakers—unified by the shared mission of advancing medical device development.