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BMES, MDC, AND EMPOWER PRESENT: 

2026 BIOMEDICAL

MAKE-A-THON 

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WELCOME TO THE 2026 Biomedical Make-a-thon!!

The annual Biomedical Make-a-thon is here! Join us on April 16-19, 2026 for a weekend filled with opportunities to work with peers and professors to make innovative designs relating to medical devices and the health industry. ​

 

ALL are welcome!!

Image by Vishnu Mohanan

CALLING ALL MAKERS AND MARKETERS!

Are you interested in the process of bringing a medical device from concept to market? Looking for some tangible, hands-on experience to add to your resume? Bring your engineering design and business acumen to the Biomedical Make-A-Thon! You will have the opportunity to work closely in a team of 4-6 designers and commercializers to research, develop, design, and present a solution to a medical problem in this fast-paced, 3-day competition! 

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Each participant will choose a role that they will fill on their team: Designer or Commercializer. More information about the responsibilities of each of these roles can be found below.

TEAM INFO AND REQUIREMENTS

  • ​You can sign up as an individual participant or part of a team.

  • Each team will have a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 6 people.

  • Individual participants will be assigned to a team at random.

  • Teams signed up together with under 4 members will be combined to meet requirements

  • Participants will select what role they would like to take on: Designer or Commercializer.

  • There must be at least two commercializers on each team.

  • Teams can sign up as full or incomplete. Incomplete teams that do not meet the minimum criteria will be filled in by other individuals at random.

  • If your team meets the minimum participant requirements, you may choose if you would like to "cap" your team or if you would like additional participants added at random to "fill out" your team.

  • Only one participant from each team will fill out the "team sign up" form.

Image by Braňo

DESIGNERS

Your responsibilities include:​

  • Brainstorming

  • Idea evaluation

  • Specification development

  • Development of solution using engineering principles

  • Iterations of designs

  • CAD prototype of solution

  • Presentation

  • Presenting solution to judge panel

COMMERCIALIZERS

Your responsibilities include:

  • Research of market availability and value proposition

  • Cost analysis

  • Comparing your solution to competing products

  • Development of marketing strategy

  • Final Presentation

  • Presenting solution to judge panel

SCHEDULE

THURSDAY (4/16)

  • 6 PM @ 180-101

  • PROMPT ANNOUNCEMENT/ KICK-OFF

FRIDAY (4/17)

  • 9 AM - 4 PM @ EMPOWER LABS

  • OPEN WORK TIME

SATURDAY (4/18)

  • 9 AM - 4 PM @ EMPOWER LABS

  • OPEN WORK TIME

SUNDAY (4/19)

  • 10 AM - 2 PM @ 192-106

  • FINAL PRESENTATIONS 

FAQ

I'm not a BMED or Business major, can I still participate?

  • Yes! All majors are encouraged to participate and choose their role based on their individual strengths and experience

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I'm not sure which role I should take on for this project. How should I pick?

  • As mentioned above, choose a role that best suits your interests and strengths. If you are interested in the physical design of a medical device, sign up as a designer! This will typically be engineering majors or students with highly technical educational backgrounds.

  • If you are interested in market research, marketing materials, business planning, or presenting/pitching ideas, the commercializer role is for you! Students with technical and non-technical backgrounds are encouraged to sign up for this role. 

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​This project is a lot to take in in such a short amount of time. Will there be any resources available to me during the event in case I get stuck along the way?

  • Yes! We have organized a fleet of advisors who will have drop-in times throughout the event where participants can stop by and ask questions about their projects. Each advisor will specify what their "specialties" are so you can direct your specific questions to the appropriate advisor. Each advisor's availability will be made available to participants at the beginning of the event.

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The event lasts about 3 days, do I need to be working on this non-stop for the full 72 hours?

  • No! We actually encourage you not to do that. That's the beauty of working in a team, you can divide and conquer. With that said, this project is a lot of work complete in a short amount of time, so you will need to work hard. The more effort you put in, the more likely you are to impress industry judges.​

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Why should i join this event?

  • Working in a technical and non-technical team to brainstorm, design, create, and commercialize a product is an excellent way to develop cross-functional communication skills. It is a great talking point in any interview, and gives you the opportunity to get valuable hands-on experience in a short, low-commitment setting.

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