By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
UCF medical students have secured first place at the Florida Blue Healthcare Innovation Challenge, a prestigious competition that attracts interdisciplinary students from colleges across Florida to present business solutions aimed at enhancing healthcare. Third year students Rachel Chapman, Hannah Brown, and Sanjan Kumar received the top award and a $10,000 prize for their development of EyeSentry, an innovative tool for early glaucoma detection.
The challenge saw over 100 students apply, with the leading teams delivering their pitches at the University of South Florida Research Park. Despite most finalists being engineering students, the UCF team stood out as the only group from a medical school to make the finals. Chapman attributed their success to their healthcare background, which provided them with unique insights into market needs and physician preferences.
Glaucoma, often termed a “silent disease,” typically begins with minor peripheral vision loss and progresses to significant visual impairment if undiagnosed and untreated. The UCF team's tool aims to facilitate early detection through a quick and user friendly screening process, enabling primary care physicians to diagnose and treat glaucoma sooner.
Frank Nunez, program planner for the USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship and coordinator of the innovation event, noted that the UCF team distinguished themselves by identifying a critical healthcare issue. He highlighted the prevalence of undiagnosed degenerative eye diseases and the outdated, costly detection methods currently in use, underscoring the potential impact of EyeSentry.
Beyond the monetary reward, the UCF team valued the experience of transforming their idea into a pitch, as well as the networking opportunities with investors and fellow innovators. Chapman emphasized the mentorship provided during the competition, which helped them refine their pitch and presentation.
The competition prioritizes ideation, evaluating students on the potential of their concepts to address real healthcare challenges. Chapman, who aspires to specialize in ophthalmology, is actively researching EyeSentry and has been invited to serve as a physician mentor for next year's participants.
For future competitors, Nunez advised a deep understanding of the problem and its impact on people's lives. He encouraged students to focus on areas lacking innovation that burden patients and practitioners financially.
Applications for the next competition will open at the end of 2024, but students are advised to start researching and planning their projects now.
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