Design Thinking for Well-Aging: Learning Beyond the Classroom Collab Between MDKMITL and BMS, Shangdong University, China
Design Thinking for Well-Aging: Learning Beyond the Classroom Collab Between MDKMITL and BMS, Shangdong University, China
What should a doctor trained for the 21st century be capable of?
For our Year 4 MDKMITL students, answering that question recently took them to Jinan, China, for an immersive international experience as part of our Design Thinking for Well-Aging course.
Led by Professor Anan Srikiatkhachorn, M.D., Founding Dean, MDKMITL, and Sranya Phaisawang, Ph.D., Associate Dean for International Affairs, MDKMITL, the programme challenged students to look beyond conventional medical training and consider how medicine, technology, research, and human-centered innovation can contribute to healthier aging.
Hosted by our partners at the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, our students experienced an extraordinary range of learning opportunities, from the Shandong Provincial Blood Center and Qilu Hospital to medical simulation, laparoscopic and robotic surgical training, pharmaceutical research, and digital human technologies.
Each experience returned to one central question:
As people live longer, how can we help them live better?
Design thinking teaches our students to begin with people. To observe, listen, empathize, and understand before developing solutions. For tomorrow’s physicians, these skills will become increasingly important as aging populations, new technologies, and changing healthcare needs reshape the practice of medicine.
We extend our special thanks to our partners Professor Liu Shangming, Vice Dean, and Professor Liu Mingli, Director of the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, for their warm welcome and generous support throughout our visit.
Our appreciation also goes to everyone at Shandong University, the Shandong Provincial Blood Center, Qilu Hospital, Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Shandong Digital Human Technology Co., Ltd. who opened their doors and shared their knowledge with our students.
As Thailand’s first international medical programme, MDKMITL remains committed to an education that prepares students not only for the medicine of today, but also for the healthcare challenges they will help solve tomorrow.
谢谢, Shandong. Thank you for another meaningful chapter in our partnership.
