First Year Teaching Experience of Medical Informatics in School of Medicine

Cho, Hune; Kwak, Yun Sik

Abstract

In March 1999, we have inaugurated the first academic Department Of Medical Jnformatics (DOMI) at Kyungpook National University School of Medicine in Korea. The initial intent of DOMI is to cover the basics of information science for medical students in order to cope with future medical environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze student response from the medical informatics class to settle in as a regular course of medical education curriculum. The informatics lecture consists of series of 18 lectures to introduce computer and information sciences, basics of internet, laboratory, radiology, telemedicine, patient administration, clinical and management information systems. We conducted a survey before and after the lecture for 150 first year medical students. Both evaluation results were compared to observe any significant changes were acquired. Before the lecture, respondents were reluctant to have computer-related lecture due to resistance of curriculum changes. After the lecture, it is surprising to note that student attitude toward informatics lecture was dramatically changed. Positive views of medical informatics were dominant, and respondents strongly recommended medical informatics lecture to be continued. In addition, a new graduate study program of medical informatics is in operational beginning 2000. The graduate study is designed to offer master s degree for training information specialists in hospital, and doctoral degree for developing faculty and researchers to prepare for the progress of medical informatics in the future.