Identified competency Focus areas and core courses for National

Exit Examination

Program: Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Prepared by:

Frehiwot Woldehanna, Ph.D. (Addis Ababa University)

Bruhtesfa Muhabaw, M.Sc. (University of Gondar)

July 19, 2022

Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Objectives ........................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Significance......................................................................................................................................... 2
2. Expected Graduate Profile .................................................................................................................... 2
3. Competencies and learning outcomes ................................................................................................... 3
3.1 Competencies ...................................................................................................................................... 3
3.1.1 Knowledge ................................................................................................................................... 3
3.1.2 Skill .............................................................................................................................................. 4
3.1.3 Attitude ........................................................................................................................................ 4
3.2 Learning outcomes .............................................................................................................................. 4
5. Conclusion and Recommendation ........................................................................................................ 7

ii
 1. Introduction
Undergraduate programs in Biomedical Engineering are currently run in four universities,
namely Addis Ababa University, University of Gondar, Jimma University, and Hawassa
University.

In line with the Government’s direction to implement exit examination for all undergraduate
programs, a team with members from the University of Gondar and Addis Ababa University has
been assigned to develop a brief guideline including expected graduate profile, competencies and
learning outcome including the list of core program themes and courses.

Accordingly, 10 courses categorized into 5 program themes have been recommended to be

covered in the proposed exit exam to start by the end of 2022/23 academic year. The currently
identified competency areas are valid for 2022/23 academic year only. The document will be
revised for the 2023/24 academic year due to implemented Harmonized curriculum for all
universities.

1.1 Objectives
The national public administration exit exam shall have the following objectives

 To produce skilled and competent manpower to national and international market

 Assessing students’ educational achievement in major areas of public administration
and development management (PADM)
 Ensuring whether the graduation profile of PADM curriculum have achieved at least
common standards of knowledge and practical skills
 Improving public trust and confidence in public administration activities of
professionals
 Facilitating the efforts of students to revise the core learning outcomes of the courses
covered by the exit examination
 Ensuring all graduates from HEIs satisfy the requirements of the labor market and
employability through the national wide implementation of competency-based exit
exam

1
  Creating competitive sprit among PADM departments in Ethiopia with the vies to
encouraging them to give due attention to the national standards

1.2 Significance
It is important to set competency areas of the subject matter (program) in order to measure the
how much graduates are acquired with skills, knowledge and attitudes. The following shows us
the significance or setting competencies and identifying core courses of the program;

 To set competencies that helps to assess the basic skills, knowledge and attitude of
graduating students;
 To systematically identify the core courses which will be included the exit exam;

2. Expected Graduate Profile

Understand the basic scientific basis and principles of biomedical equipments including
the application of diagnostic and therapeutic biomedical equipment in the health care
delivery.

Design, develop and manufacture medical devices and systems or processes to meet
desired needs within economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety,
manufacturability and sustainability constraints.

Apply knowledge of healthcare technology management and assessment of medical

devices starting from planning, technology assessment, specification, procurement,
installation, training, operation, maintenance to decommissioning and disposal to
improve quality of healthcare service provision in the healthcare facilities.

Develop and ensure implementation of standards, regulatory frameworks and

requirements relevant to medical devices function

Develop the attitude and mind-set up to apply medical and engineering ethics to provide
the necessary professional services.

2
 Support the Government in the development of guidelines, directives, and policies
relevant to biomedical engineering and technology.

Train and mentor healthcare staff on operational, proper handling of biomedical

equipment.

Undertake innovation through research to adopt and adapt simple and appropriate
biomedical technologies for efficient and effective healthcare services

Have the interpersonal skills that help work as a team of healthcare staff and interaction
with clients and other stakeholders

Become entrepreneurs in the areas of specification, design, installation, operation, and

maintenance of biomedical equipment

3. Competencies and learning outcomes

3.1 Competencies

3.1.1 Knowledge

- Understand the basic concepts in bio-materials, bio-mechanics, and bio-fluid mechanics

apply to biomedical engineering applications.
- Understand standard biomedical instrumentation hardware required for reliable diagnosis
and treatment of patients in the healthcare system.
- Understand operate standard medical imaging technologies including image processing
software required for reliable diagnosis and treatment of patients in the healthcare system
- Understand and operate standard medical imaging technologies including image
processing software required for reliable diagnosis and treatment of patients in the
healthcare system,
- Acquire the knowledge to carry out research for design and implementation of
biomedical systems in any healthcare environment including hospitals, clinics, and health
centers

3
 - Acquire the knowledge to specify, procure, inventory, install, operate, maintain
calibration, dispose appropriate healthcare technologies required for hospitals, clinics,
and health centers and familiarize with engineering and medical ethics accepted by the
professional community to effectively manage hospital engineering functions.
- Understand the concept of biomedical signal processing.

3.1.2 Skill
- Design, prototype and develop Biomedical devices
- Develop, configure, Install, operate, adjust, maintain and calibrate healthcare
technologies
- Evaluate the safety and efficiency of medical devices
- Provide technical and end user training on healthcare technologies
- Skill to carry out research for design and implementation of biomedical systems in any
healthcare environment including hospitals, clinics, and health centers
- Skill to develop medical equipment specification, procurement, inventory, install dispose
appropriate healthcare technologies required for hospitals, clinics, and health centers and
familiarize with engineering and medical ethics accepted by the professional community
to effectively manage hospital engineering functions.

3.1.3 Attitude
- strong interest in engineering and medicine
- willingness to apply standards and regulations
- interpersonal integrity, confidentiality
- an attitude for science and mathematics
- ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities
- demonstrate professional and social responsibilities
- Attitude to carry out research for design and implementation of biomedical systems in
any healthcare environment including hospitals, clinics, and health centers

3.2 Learning outcomes

1. Basic Biomedical Engineering

4
Understand the basic concepts in bio-physics, bio-optics, bio-materials, bio-mechanics, and
bio-fluid mechanics to be utilized in major biomedical engineering tracks including
biomedical instrumentation and imaging systems, healthcare technologies.

2. Biomedical Instrumentation and Processing

Understand, develop, install, configure, and operate standard biomedical instrumentation

hardware with relevant signal processing software required for reliable diagnosis and
treatment of patients in the healthcare system

3. Biomedical Imaging

Understand, develop, install, configure, maintain and operate standard medical imaging
technologies including image processing software required for reliable diagnosis and
treatment of patients in the healthcare system,

4. Biomedical System Design

Acquire the knowledge, skill, and attitude to carry out research for design and
implementation of biomedical systems in any healthcare environment including hospitals,
clinics, and health centers

5. Healthcare Technology Management and Hospital Engineering

Acquire the knowledge, skill, and attitude to specify, procure, inventory, install, operate,
maintain, calibration, dispose appropriate healthcare technologies required for hospitals,
clinics, and health centers and familiarize with engineering and medical ethics accepted by
the professional community to effectively manage hospital engineering functions.

4. Courses to be included in the exam

1. Biomaterials
2. Biomechanics
3. Bio-fluid Mechanics
4. Biomedical Signal Processing/ BioSignal Processing

5
 5. Biomedical Instrumentation
6. Biomedical Workshop Practice / Bioinstrumentation Lab

7. Biomedical Imaging Systems/Medical imaging Modality

8. Biomedical Design/ BME Computer Application+ BME prototype
9. Healthcare Technology Management
10. Hospital Engineering

4.1 Categorizing courses into themes

1. Basic Biomedical Engineering

 Biomaterials
 Biomechanics
 Bio-fluid Mechanics

2. Biomedical Instrumentation and Processing

 Biomedical Signal Processing/ BioSignal Processing
 Biomedical Instrumentation
 Biomedical Workshop Practice / Bioinstrumentation Lab

3. Biomedical Imaging
 Biomedical Imaging Systems/Medical imaging Modality
4. Biomedical System Design
 Biomedical Design/ BME Computer Application+ BME prototype
5. Healthcare Technology Management and Hospital Engineering
 Healthcare Technology Management
 Hospital Engineering

Remark: ECTS or credit hour is not included for selected courses due to the difference in
curriculum in different universities.

6
 5. Conclusion and Recommendation
One of the tools to maintain quality of graduates in an environment where differences in
resources differ is administering exit examination in which the core knowledge, skills, and
attitude can be tested.

Although there is a wide variation of concentration of biomedical engineering programs, only the
most relevant areas are considered in the designing the curricula and hence the exit
examinations.

The 10 core courses selected for the exit examination are believed to measure the competence of
the graduates and the list can be updated in the future based on new concentration areas and
programs.

It is recommended that all the four universities running the program look into it and to prepare
their graduate students and engage their faculties for the successful implementation of the exam.
Furthermore, the exit exam is better scheduled after one month from the date of last regular
internal exam, if possible in the 2022/23 A.Y, to allow the students prepare themselves
comfortably.