History & Curriculum Integration

History

Mobile devices and handheld computers have become a ubiquitous tool in medicine and medical education to collect and retrieve valuable data.

We have been using handheld computers in medical education at Georgetown University School of Medicine since 2002. Palm-based devices were piloted as a requirement in the family medicine clerkship through 2005. Based on this success, School of Medicine established a requirement in 2005 for all third-year students. Based on student demand in 2009, the requirement of ownership has been moved to the second year and the device must be on the iOS or Android platform.

Curricular Integration

The school of medicine requires students to have an iOS or Android device as part of the curriculum. Several faculty and directors in the preclinical year have committed to incorporating use in the following courses and modules:

Year 2

• Pharmacology Fundamentals
• Lab Medicine
• Clinical skills primer
• EBM II
• Clinical skills day workshop
• Electronic Prescribing
• Students will find the device useful a useful resource in other courses as well, such as Ambulatory care and Medical Student Grand Rounds.

Year 3

• All third year clerkship directors support the use of mobile devices in their clerkships, several actively promote its use and have faculty experts.
• Family Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Pediatrics
• Office of Med Education, Observed Clinical Skill Exam (OSCE)

Year 4

• Clinical pharmacology
• Acting internships and clinical rotations
• Harvey Mitchell Teaching Elective