Andre Figueroa from Cusco, Peru is currently a student of Biomedical engineering at the University of Arkansas. He took BMEG 3801 Clinical Observations and Needs Finding last semester with Dr. Hanna Jensen. […]
Andre Figueroa from Cusco, Peru is currently a student of Biomedical engineering at the University of Arkansas. He took BMEG 3801 Clinical Observations and Needs Finding last semester with Dr. Hanna Jensen. It was his first time taking a service learning class.
He finds service learning experience different from the traditional classroom approach to learning. “By interacting with professionals in the healthcare field, I was able to fully experience the scope of Biomedical Engineering in a clinical setting. I was able to develop by engineering design skills in a way that the medical solutions proposed were targeted to the user’s needs,” he said.
For him, service learning also helps improve his problem-solving skill. He explains that “In the preliminary stages of our design project, our group had different approaches to the challenges presented. Being able to apply classroom knowledge in a practical device showed us that engineering entails a lot more than I expected. Specifically, managing the design of a device that fulfilled the requirements of the end-users, costumers, and the fabrication of the device.”
“Seeing the practical application of Biomedical Engineering helped me guide my academic career and my plans after graduation.” That is his biggest take-away from service learning. And the most moving experience during his service learning course is: “Seeing the input of medical professionals and knowing that we have support and the resources to be part of experiences that can shape our future.”
For future service-learning students, he biggest advice to be “open minded! Every experience is an opportunity to learn, even if you had a different expectation.”