At MCW, handheld devices are an integral part of clinical education and a valuable tool in the clinical setting. They provide quick access to reference materials at the point of care as well as a tool for tracking patient encounter experiences as students rotate through each clerkship. This process helps MCW meet the LCME accreditation standards. Therefore, it is a requirement for all third and fourth year.
This requirement has been in place for almost a decade, following a successful pilot program in the Family and Community Medicine Department in the late 90's. Handheld technology has seen a lot of changes since then. As of July 1, 2009, M3's are now on the cutting edge of handheld technology for learning and practicing medicine, having received a 16 gig iPod Touch in May of this year.
The Office of Educational Services manages the annual process of researching, approving, procuring, distributing, and training with regard to handheld technology for medical education.
Last update: 6/9/09