Surveying the Efficacy of an Open Access Biomedical Informatics Boot Camp

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Informatics
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Biomedical informatics education is crucial for advancing healthcare.
• Virtual boot camps offer accessible training opportunities.
• Assessing program efficacy is key for continuous improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual biomedical informatics boot camp.
• Identify participant satisfaction and skill development.
• Gather feedback for future program enhancements.

Main Methods:

• A voluntary, anonymous survey was administered post-boot camp.
• The survey assessed participant expectations and tool utility.
• Qualitative feedback on course content was collected.

Main Results:

• 70% of participants felt their expectations were met.
• 82% found the provided JupyterHub and coding materials valuable.
• Participants desired more hands-on training over lectures.

Conclusions:

• The biomedical informatics boot camp was positively received.
• Participants reported enhanced informatics knowledge.
• Tailoring content difficulty for diverse backgrounds is a key challenge.