Lab Tech / Innovation Challenge
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§01 · The challenge

The Lab Tech Innovation Challenge bridges academic engineering with real pharmaceutical work.

Over 8 weeks, four teams of five design and build an automated powder-weighing machine. The resulting prototype is tested at MedRock Pharmacies — solutions are grounded in genuine clinical utility, not hypothetical use cases.

Core problem statement

Precise weighing, minimal hands.

Compounding pharmacies measure powders across an enormous dynamic range — from a few milligrams up to hundreds of grams or more. Today this is done by hand: tedious, error-prone, and slow. The Lab Tech machine has to handle the full range, automate the process end-to-end, and clear a working pharmacy's accuracy and hygiene bar.

  • Accurate from milligram-range to gram/kilogram-range quantities.
  • Operates with minimal to no human involvement during weighing.
  • Meets pharmacy-grade accuracy and hygiene standards.
  • Reliable, reproducible, and safe in a compounding pharmacy environment.
§02
Team selection

Four teams, picked on purpose.

The four competing teams are not assigned automatically. The same Itkan, MedRock, and MedDots judging panel that evaluates the final competition selects the four teams from the open application pool — when more than four groups apply.

  1. 01
    Pre-competition
    Open call. Form a group of 5 and submit a team application.
  2. 02
    Application review
    Brief statement of intent: why you want to compete and what you bring.
  3. 03
    Panel review
    Itkan, MedRock, and MedDots panel reviews all applications and selects the 4 strongest groups based on motivation, skills, and team balance.
  4. 04
    Before Week 1
    Selected teams notified. Team Leads assigned. Agreements distributed.

Selection criteria

  • ·Diversity of skills (engineering, programming, design, documentation)
  • ·Demonstrated interest in pharmacy, automation, or relevant technical fields
  • ·Quality and clarity of the team's statement of intent
  • ·Academic standing and conduct record at Itkan
§03
MedDots support

Open Wednesdays. Private when you need it.

MedDots is a key organizing partner — providing resources, coaching, and technical support to all four competing teams. MedDots does not field a competing team.

Every Wednesday from 12:00–1:00 p.m. for the duration of the competition, MedDots hosts an open discussion. Bring problems, share progress, learn from other teams' approaches.

Want to keep your specific approach confidential? Request a private one-on-one consultation outside the open session. The dashboard handles booking.

MedDots Office Hours
WED
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Open · all teams
TBD
TBD
Private slots · by request
FRI
3 hours · time TBD
MedRock Pharmacy visits (5 total)
§04
Hands-on experience

Want to actually touch the powder? Get TSBP-registered.

By default, all participants attend the five Friday visits as observers. Observation alone gives you valuable insight into pharmacy workflow and design constraints. To do hands-on activities, you need to register as a Texas Pharmacy Technician Trainee (TSBP) and get express approval from the pharmacist in charge at the MedRock Texas location.

Step 1
Register with TSBP

Apply through the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. Registration typically takes 4–6 weeks — start early.

Step 2
MedDots covers the fees

Up to 10 participants get TSBP registration and fingerprinting fees fully reimbursed by MedDots.

Step 3
Get pharmacist approval

Confirmed registration plus express approval from the MedRock pharmacist in charge enables hands-on work under direct supervision.

!
Must be 18+
All hands-on activities require valid TSBP trainee registration, pharmacist approval, and direct supervision at all times.