Technology that Enhances Education in Medical School

Much of the experience gained by medical students in the first two years of medical school is strictly book learning. There are some anatomy labs that offer hands-on learning, and maybe some brief visits to various clinics, but the majority of interaction is between the student and the medical textbook. At least that used to be the case. Currently, many schools have adopted virtual patients and human patient simulators to enhance the education experience, and give young medical students more exposure to thinking on their feet.

Virtual patients come in all shapes and sizes. They can be tailored to specific lesson plans, or randomized to various disease states. The student cannot only assess symptoms, but can also take a closer look inside i.e. the student can see mock radioimagry or even detailed cartoon depictions of the inner workings of the disease state. By using this type of technology in medical education, students can get more experience with new approaches to diagnostics and treatment, thereby training students to take a personalized approach to medicine.

Human patient simulators are actually robotic patients that mimic respiration, heart rate, pupil dilation, and a number of other vital signs. In addition, they often come equip with anatomically correct parts, such as ear, nose and throat. These systems are notoriously expensive, but are invaluable insofar as they allow the student to get a fell for the real life pressure of surgical and internal medicine related tasks. Even though there is pressure to perform, if the student makes a mistake on a robotic patient there is no actual harm!

The advances in medical education for first and second year medical students have been truly amazing. As the field continues to advance, these students will be able to learn about personalized medical approaches from the get-go, and push the field of medicine forward.