Bridging the gap: medical training in the digital age

Like most medical trainees my age, I step into the hospital with the entire knowledge base of the world in my pocket. I have apps on my phone to look up disease symptoms and diagnoses, reference drug doses and side effects, estimate the 10-year risk of having a heart attack, determine the correct timing and type of vaccine administration and screening tests, and even display the risks, benefits, and statistics of various types of contraception. Importantly, this incredible ability to access and share information quickly has changed not only how we practice medicine, but also how we teach and learn it. The difference that technology has made in modern medical training was evident from the first day of medical school. Lectures are video-captured and can be played back over the internet at any time. Furthermore, our upper-class colleagues advised us of a breathtaking proliferation of internet-based resources, which often take advantage of videos, animations, and other multimedia to disseminate content. No longer are students routinely attending a lecture while taking notes in the margins of a thick, dense textbook; instead, we design their own learning plans using a buffet of resources. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Education Medical school Source Type: blogs