Recommendations regarding basic informatics skills for medical students. San Francisco Davis San Diego

On entering medical school, students should have proficiency in: 1. Basic microcomputer operation (the ability to run DOS-, Windows-, and/or Macintosh-based systems; navigate between applications; and open, close, transfer, save, and back-up files); 2. Basic word processing (the ability to create, edit, and print simple documents).

On entering medical school, students should have proficiency in:

1. Basic microcomputer operation (the ability to run DOS-, Windows-, and/or Macintosh-based systems; navigate between applications; and open, close, transfer, save, and back-up files);

2. Basic word processing (the ability to create, edit, and print simple documents).

By completion of medical school, students should have the following skills: Intermediate word processing : Information search and retrieval : the ability to retrieve relevant, timely information from the medical literature using printed sources or online databases. 3 . Information management : the ability to organize and manage information and data

By completion of medical school, students should

have the following skills:

Intermediate word processing :

Information search and retrieval :

the ability to retrieve relevant, timely information from the medical literature using printed sources or online databases.

3 . Information management :

the ability to organize and manage information and data

4. Communication , including: Electronic mail (the ability to send, receive, save, forward, and attach files to e-mail messages); Newsgroups and Listservs (the ability to subscribe, unsubscribe, and post messages to and find messages by topic); File transfer (the ability to use FTP client software) Telnet (the ability to log into a remote computer ); and World Wide Web

4. Communication , including:

Electronic mail

(the ability to send, receive, save, forward, and attach files to e-mail messages);

Newsgroups and Listservs

(the ability to subscribe, unsubscribe, and post messages to and find messages by topic);

File transfer

(the ability to use FTP client software)

Telnet

(the ability to log into a remote computer ); and

World Wide Web

5. Data Analysis : the ability to analyze and interpret data, including the assessment of methodological strengths and weaknesses in the published literature; 6. Presentation: the ability to present information effectively, both orally and in writing.

5. Data Analysis :

the ability to analyze and interpret data, including the assessment of methodological strengths and weaknesses in the published literature;

6. Presentation:

the ability to present information effectively,

both orally and in writing.

Additional skills desirable but not essential

1. Understanding of Bayesian and non-Bayesian methods of decision analysis, 2. Meta-analysis techniques for quantitative comparison of clinical research studies 3. Electronic hypertext publication methods 4. Principles of large-scale clinical and research database design, 5. Methods for development and use of structured medical vocabularies; 6. Principles for design and evaluation of Telemedicine system

1. Understanding of Bayesian and non-Bayesian

methods of decision analysis,

2. Meta-analysis techniques for quantitative comparison

of clinical research studies

3. Electronic hypertext publication methods

4. Principles of large-scale clinical and research

database design,

5. Methods for development and use of structured medical vocabularies;

6. Principles for design and evaluation of Telemedicine system

Dr.Neelesh Bhandari MBBS, MD (Path.) [email_address] digital-medicine.blogspot.com

RAKSHA MEdRC educational technologies Democratization of health information