International Survey of Medical & Other Life Sciences Faculty: Use of 3D Printers

Report Highlights

This report looks closely at the extent and character of use of 3D printers by faculties in medical, dental, public health and veterinary schools as well as in university departments of biology and chemistry. The report presents data from a survey of 180 medical and life sciences faculty from more than 50 research universities and medical schools in the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK and Ireland.

The 60+ page study reports on the percentage of faculty who have ever used a 3D printer, used 3D printer in an academic or medical library, in another university location, or in a non-university location. It also looks at what patrons are using 3D printers for, giving detailed statistical data on use for medical devices, for drug remedies, and for prosthetics and body parts, among other uses. The report also defines levels of faculty support for higher or lower spending on 3D printing technology, and examines attitudes towards the technology.

Data is broken out by more than 10 criteria, and is presented separately for public and private universities, by age, gender, academic title, country, academic field, university ranking, level of tuition and other variables. The demographic data allows readers to pinpoint the kinds of faculty who use 3D printers and the level of need and support for them.