Medventions Atlantic Fall 2026 Application

Internship Details

Cohort Start Date: September 1, 2026 

Duration: 4 months (September – December) - Full time

Clinical Area: Vascular Surgery 

Location: Halifax Infirmary, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, NS

Application Deadline: July 17, 2026 

Funding Type: Grant 

Salary: $21/hr. (monthly installments)

About Medventions

Medventions Atlantic is a health innovation fellowship hosted by the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub in partnership with Sunnybrook Research Institute and Dalhousie University. Modeled after the internationally recognized Medventions program in Toronto, this immersive experience equips fellows with the skills, networks, and practical experience to translate clinical needs into impactful innovations.

Fellows will have the unique opportunity to be fully immersed in a clinical environment, shadowing clinical leads over a 6–8-week period. This experience includes observing surgical procedures, gaining insight into internal workflows, and following patient care pathways to better understand the complexities and challenges of healthcare delivery.

Following the clinical immersion phase, fellows will work closely with an Academic Supervisor from Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Engineering to develop the skills needed to identify and validate clinical challenges. They will actively participate in prototyping, design sprints, and business model development, applying innovation frameworks to translate clinical insights into tangible solutions.

Throughout the fellowship, participants will benefit from extensive mentorship and training, with access to experts in medicine, entrepreneurship, and commercialization strategies. The program concludes with a final Innovation Day showcase, where fellows present their proposed solution to healthcare leaders, potential investors, and industry partners.

The team will get the opportunity to uncover innovation and translational research opportunities in the fields of big data, image-guided therapy, and AI. See below eligibility, and application criteria. 

The Opportunity

The Opportunity 

The four-month fellowship is divided into three main phases with the following structure: 

• Phase 1: Clinical needs identification, verification, and assessment 
• Phase 2: Ideation and brainstorming 
• Phase 3: Concept development, product design and prototyping 

What you will gain

• A very unique opportunity to experience clinical immersion and gain firsthand insight into healthcare delivery challenges.
• Innovation training in design thinking, needs identification, and commercialization.
• Networking opportunities with clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders.
• Mentorship from experts across healthcare, academia, and industry.
• A chance to develop and pitch health innovation solutions with potential for continuation beyond the fellowship.
• Fellowships are considered a jump-start for clinicians, engineers, researchers, and business graduates who are interested in pursuing a career in medical technology entrepreneurship. Participants can apply their talent to build their own medtech start-ups, lead translational research projects and become industry experts in various aspects of the medtech innovation process.

Key Responsibilities

• Attend all clinical shadowing opportunities and actively engage in team-based need-finding exercises.
• Read and apply learnings from the Biodesign textbook provided at the start of the fellowship.
• Participate in all scheduled meetings arranged by the Program Coordinator, including sessions with stakeholders, mentors, and subject matter experts.
• Attend local ecosystem events to gain exposure to topics such as intellectual property generation, commercialization strategies, and other aspects of business development.
• Collaborate effectively with mentors, clinicians, and fellow participants in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Develop and submit a business case to the Program Coordinator at the end of the fellowship term.
• Present findings and proposed solutions at the final Medventions Atlantic Showcase.
• Demonstrate professionalism by showing up prepared, remaining flexible, staying curious, and treating all colleagues, patients, and stakeholders with respect.

Note: All fellows are required to adhere to the policies and procedures outlined by Nova Scotia Health (NSH Policies) and Dalhousie University (Dalhousie Policies) when working with and communicating to stakeholders throughout the program.

Eligibility Criteria

• Current undergrad or recent graduate-level student or, 
• have graduated from undergrad or graduate school no more than two years from the Medventions Atlantic program start date. 
• Available to commit full time from September - December 2026
• Be available during standard business hours, with flexibility to accommodate extended clinical procedures, after-hours operations, and last-minute schedule changes.
• Demonstrated interest in health innovation, entrepreneurship, or clinical problem-solving.
• Strong teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• If out of province, fellows must relocate to Halifax for the duration of the program.
• Tuberculosis testing is required prior to the start date (Step 1 only)
• Note* No reimbursement provided by Medventions Atlantic program.
• For all other required immunizations, please refer to: Immunizations_and_Infectious_Disease_Screening_Rev_Aug_2025 (1).pdf

Skills & Qualifications

• Entrepreneurial mindset: action and detail oriented, analytical, sees problems as opportunities, comfortable with ambiguity, self-learner with strong business acumen 
• Proven ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team. 
• Demonstrated excellence in problem-solving, decision making, and critical thinking. 
• Highly motivated individuals with the ability to work under pressure. 
• Strong interest in innovation and change across health care, design thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity. 
• Proven excellent interpersonal skills and effective oral/written communication skills. 
• Background/experience in life sciences, health, engineering and/or business is required.
• Comfort with exposure to surgical procedures, medical environments, and potentially graphic clinical situations.