Driven by population growth and a decline in the number of students entering the medical field, Arizona is projected to have a shortage of 2,000 primary care physicians by 2030.

Arizona State University's School of Medicine and Medical Engineering is aiming to close the gap by educating physicians in both medicine and technology, opening up many technical positions in the healthcare field. Representing a major departure from traditional learning, the M.D. and master's in engineering program is a four-year, dual-degree focus emphasizing systems thinking and innovation.

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Dr. Holly Lisanby, founding dean of the school, said curriculum creators took a deep look at how medicine and technology intersect.

"Take an example like learning about the cardiovascular system, how our heart and blood vessels work. The heart is a pump, and it's also an electrical system. We know this because we can record cardiac activity using electrocardiogram or EKG," Lisanby explained.

Lisanby pointed out embracing the role of engineering and artificial intelligence in medicine can help physicians make the most appropriate diagnoses, adding a new brand of physician will help address Arizona's ongoing workforce shortage. She believes it will be especially helpful in rural areas, where challenges to healthcare accessibility are often the most severe.

"We can't possibly train enough physicians to meet today's and tomorrow's health needs across Arizona if those physicians are going to continue to practice the way they've always done," Lisanby contended.

Entering the workforce with both an M.D. and master's degree makes new graduates marketable in a wide range of other industries, Lisanby added. The university is currently partnering with a Phoenix-area hospital chain to give the students hands-on clinical experience.