Bridging Academia and the Healthcare Industry: Lessons from a Biomedical Engineering Internship Program in Peru

Cieza Huané L.Y.; Barzola W.G.R.; Terrones M.C. · IFMBE Proceedings (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-20291-8_59

Resumen

This study presents the development and evaluation of a hospital-based internship program in Biomedical Engineering, implemented collaboratively by Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) and Clínica Médica Cayetano Heredia (CMCH) between 2023 and 2025. While structured internships have been institutionalized in North America and Europe since the 1970s, their integration into Biomedical Engineering curricula in Peru remains limited. The initiative was structured around three pillars: competency-based academic training, compliance with national legislation regulating formative labor modalities (Law N° 28518 and Supreme Decree N° 007–2005-TR), and institutional requirements from the host clinic. A total of 44 undergraduate students participated across five academic cohorts. The program evaluation combined both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the quantitative component, a structured 5-point Likert scale survey assessed four dimensions: (a) technical and academic competencies, (b) professional integration and communication, (c) personal and vocational development, and (d) overall internship experience. Results indicated high levels of satisfaction, with mean scores of 4.49, 4.39, 4.49, and 3.98 out of 5, respectively. In the qualitative component, inductive thematic analysis of open-ended questions identified eight core categories: challenging procedures and technical learning, interdisciplinary communication, shift in career perception, program strengths, suggestions for improvement, formative impact, curricular relevance and employability, and knowledge transfer to the labor market. Taken together, the findings confirm that the internship strengthened technical competencies, promoted interdisciplinary interaction, consolidated professional identity, and enhanced students’ employability. This represents the first reported Biomedical Engineering internship program in Peru, establishing it as a replicable and scalable model for other institutions in Peru, and low- and middle-income contexts. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia