Computer instruction as part of a course on analytic medicine for first-year students

The Medical University of South Carolina integrated instruction in information science and computer technology into a required freshman-level course. Analytic and Community Medicine. The advantages of this placement in the curriculum are two-fold. First, the course provides an opportunity to integrate computer methodology with clinically relevant topics such as medical decision-making. This integration enhances the students' view of the computer as a useful tool that can aid the physician in the practice of medicine. Course organizers are convinced that the success of the first offering is attributable to this integration. Second, the instruction comes early in the medical education process and allows the concepts learned to be utilized throughout the students' medical school careers. The degree to which these concepts and methods are actually utilized by students will depend upon the degree of reinforcement of these ideas in the clinical years and residency. Thus, faculty members must act as role models who not only acknowledge the importance of mastering the use of computers in medicine but also manifest those skills.