The Medical Innovation and Entrepreneurship Honors Track (MIEHT) has received $5,000 in additional funding through a Chancellor’s Circle Grant Award, supporting a second cohort of medical students’ participation in this training program for entrepreneurial leaders in healthcare.
MIEHT welcomed its first cohort of UAMS College of Medicine students in 2023 thanks to an initial grant of $10,000 from the Chancellor’s Circle to BioVentures LLC. The additional funding was announced Oct. 23 at the Chancellor’s Circle Grant Awards ceremony.
MIEHT participants receive progressively intensive training in innovation and entrepreneurship that complements their four years of medical school, learning to approach the clinical environment as problem-solvers and change-makers.
John Sherrill, Ph.D., MPH, senior licensing associate at BioVentures and track director for MIEHT, said that by learning to improve clinical care through innovation, MIEHT participants have the potential to have a vast impact on healthcare delivery.
“When these students see a problem, they ask, ‘why?’ and start looking for solutions,” Sherrill said. “That’s the kind of spirit we want to support by providing them with the foundational entrepreneurial skills they need to translate their ideas into reality. We are thankful to the Chancellor’s Circle for the additional funding to offer this training to additional students.”
MIEHT is one of the first two programs in the nation to implement XO Medtech, a cutting-edge online community and innovation training platform where med tech innovators can learn, collaborate and seek advice. With this expansion, the program will further support students in prototyping and participating in student business plan competitions, further enhancing their entrepreneurial skills and opportunities.
The Chancellor’s Circle is UAMS’ premier annual giving society, which marks its 40th anniversary in 2024. Through its unrestricted annual giving, this group of dedicated members donates more than $200,000 a year that funds grants to address the institution’s highest priorities. More than 250 household and corporate members make up the Chancellor’s Circle.
In addition to Chancellor’s Circle grants, MIEHT is funded by in-kind support from BioVentures.
Recruitment for the next MIEHT student cohort begins each December. For more information, contact Sherrill at JSHERRILL@uams.edu. To learn more about the Chancellor’s Circle, visit giving.uams.edu/chancellorscircle.
