What is a hackathon?
Think of a hackathon as a pop-up incubator, designed to help you kickstart your ideas into concrete projects and prototypes. Over the course of one intense weekend weekend, you'll come together with an amazing group of people to learn, ideate, and make.
Who can attend?
We’re opening the door to engineers, designers, business experts, and healthcare professionals - students and faculty - passionate about healthcare innovation. Any undergraduate, graduate student, or working professional is invited to apply!
What if I don't know how to code?
Fret not! health++ is a perfect place to start! We're working to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical in healthcare—so we welcome individuals of all skillsets. Our workshops and mentors will address any questions you might have. Whatever your interest or specialty, we’d love to see what you can create!
Why health++?
health++ is a student run event spearheading a larger movement to increase inter-departmental collaboration in the realm of healthcare. In drawing from the hackathon concept being successfully developed around the world, we hope to create a long-lasting community of hackers and innovators!
What makes an ideal team?
You're welcome to bring friends, but a big part of health++ is forming cross-disciplinary teams - engineers, designers, business experts, and clinicians - and that means meeting new people! Each group brings a unique skillset critical to creating meaningful solutions. From our experience, multilateral teams like these have seen the greatest success.
How do I find a team?
On the morning of the first day, we’ll be opening the event with a keynote, panel, and then a live problem pitching session. Team formation will be taking place directly afterwards.
Will travel funds be available?
This year, we are providing limited reimbursements and bussing from nearby schools. Results for travel grants have already been released.
What makes a health hackathon unique?
There is a large disconnect between engineering students who want to code solutions to meaningful problems and healthcare professionals who understand how technology can be effectively applied to an unmet need. A health hackathon bridges this gap. The environment of a hackathon empowers students and faculty in healthcare with the technical resources and engineering talent needed to push their ideas through the prototyping process.
At the end of the weekend, what should a finished project look like?
We’re looking for a prototype, business model, or ideally, a combination of the two! We love technical hacks, but we also want to emphasize the importance of delivery and cost. How will your project get into the hands of patients? How can you impact mental health, global health, or chronic disease in an affordable way? We want to see ideas and prototypes that have the potential to become reality.
How do I pitch a need?
The problem pitching session will take place on Saturday morning, the first day of the event. A form to submit pitches will be released closer to the event! Note that only participants and mentors will be eligible to pitch.
What should I bring?
Bring your laptop and any accessories (charger, surge protector, personal hardware) that you might need. Our friends at MLH will be providing hardware to work with, and we'll have supplies for ideation on hand as well (lots and lots of post-its, markers, etc). Also, food will be provided!
How much do I have to pay to participate?
Nothing, nada, zero, zilch. We'll provide meals, WIFI, workspace, and swag over the weekend!
Does health++ have a Code of Conduct?
Yes! We follow the
MLH Code of Conduct. All applicants must agree to this Code of Conduct to be admitted.
