The Experience of Holding the First Medis Smart Health Hackathon with a Look at Achievements, Challenges, and Lessons Learned

The purpose of this experience statement is to review the planning process, implementation, and results of the first Medis Smart Health Hackathon, which was held at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences with a focus on three topics: “Digital Health in Chronic Diseases,” “Health Data Management with Artificial Intelligence,” and “Biocomputing in the Development of Smart Medicines.” The event was held with the participation of 23 interdisciplinary student teams from medical, engineering, and basic sciences. The most important achievements of the event included creating innovative ideas in the field of health technology, strengthening teamwork and interdisciplinary communication skills, creating scientific-professional networks, and motivating students to work at the frontiers of knowledge. However, the event faced major challenges, especially in the area of providing financial resources and administrative obstacles, which affected the quality of implementation and support. However, despite the effectiveness of such events in fostering innovation and operational skills, their continuity and development require more structured organizational support, streamlining administrative processes, and designing sustainable mechanisms for communication with industry and financial sponsors. This experience emphasizes the need to integrate interdisciplinary education and support innovative student ideas in line with the transformation of the health system.