Tampa virtual reality medtech startup Immertec won a $17,500 grant for an educational pilot program at the University of Michigan's medical school.
The project will provide postgraduate trainees with experience in orthopedic surgery through Immertec's immersive medical procedure training platform. The grant expands Immertec's reach in the academic space as it seeks to develop partnerships with teaching universities. It's the first time Immertec has worked with students after only working with medical device customers, CEO Erik Maltais said.
"Our mission extends beyond innovating medical training; it's about fostering health equity through education," Maltais said. "Our collaboration with the University of Michigan underscores our commitment to making advancing medical education accessible."
The project's broader goal is to "bridge knowledge gaps, boost trainee confidence and establish a repository of recorded procedures" for orthopedic surgery, according to a release. It will allow medical students to observe and review procedures in a newfound way through Immertec's platform, said Dr. Alton Johnson, the lead researcher on the grant and a surgeon at the University of Michigan.
"It's almost like you have your surgical learning on the go," Johnson said.
The academic grant is small, but Immertec hopes to expand this program at the university, said Jordan Gorrochotegui, a product lead at Immertec.
In December 2023, the National Institutes of Health awarded Immertec a grant to research rural health care training with the University of South Florida. The research grant continued its relationship with USF's simulation center. Since its founding in 2017, Immertec has raised over $30 million in funding, including a recent $4 million extension in February.
