Augmented reality, virtual reality, video games, simulations, mobile learning,wearable devices -the list of the most up and coming technologies that have a real potential to transform the façade of medical education and address the ever-evolving needs of an educational environment, seems interminable. There are a host of technologies that are currently being used across different medical schools. The main purpose of using technology in medical schools is to facilitate the acquisition of basic clinical knowledge, help you hone in on the decision making and clinical skills, practice and come up with treatment plans, and boost confidence and psycho motor skills. It makes it exciting and daunting at the same time for medical schools to integrate technology into their curriculum.The increasing use of technology in medical schools makes it important for medical school contenders to carefully check each school’s classroom tech level prior to deciding which top Caribbean medical school to attend.
Mobile Technology
There are many medical schools that have started integrating cutting-edge technologies on a regular basis in their classrooms. Medical schools that facilitate mobile learning and allow students to regularly use tablets and iPads in class to access digital resources,can effectively transform learning into a more collaborative, personalized and empowering experience.
Simulation
There are many medical schools that aspire for their students to get as much clinical experience as possible before they start practicing medicine within a real healthcare setting. Simulations can offer compelling and memorable lessons while fulfilling a number of educational goals. The basic purpose of using simulationin medical schools is to imitate real patients, clinical tasks and create a real-life clinical environment to facilitate learning under the right conditions.
Some medical schools provide their students with rubber and plastic dummy patients and allow them to practice performing procedures before administering such on the real patients. Some educators are using anatomy simulation models to help students visualize the anatomyof the human body. Currently, manymedical universities are leveraging an imaging technology for radiology-based anatomy courses, making it a lot easier for students to comprehend such rudimentary concepts.
Virtual reality simulation makes it easier for learners to develop clinical skills, especially in the field of laparoscopyby using a realistic and assessable computer-generatedenvironment. To put it in a nutshell, simulationsare quite handy when it comes to preparing forclinical training, giving them an opportunity to practice on human-like mannequins, boosting their confidence and enabling them to take treatment decisions in a real clinical environment.
Video Classes
Online videos that condense down a lot of information into digestible, understandable chunks make learning complex topics a lot easier. There are a number of YouTube channels that help medical students easily grasp and memorize complex science material. In addition, video classes can play an effective role in learning important course material and preparing for the OSCE (Object Structured Clinical Examination). Integrating educational videos and interactive learning resources into medical school environment can help students develop basic clinical skills, which is the most important goal of medical education. There are some medical schools that leverage videos and other technology resources tosupport their clinical sciences curriculum.
Digital Games
The use of digital games for training medical professionals has become all the rage. These digital games serve as a training tool that provide a challenging and stimulating clinical environmentwhich can be used to train future surgeons. Playing these games can help you hone in on your eye-hand coordination and reflex times. There are many medical schools that facilitate playing games for their students currently doing clerkships to develop clinical skills and learn how to create a treatment plan in patient-care settings.
Wearable Technology
Google glass is an emerging technology that makes education more realistic and effective. Some teaching hospitals are using Google glass to show students who are doing their rotations different radiologic images such as MRI and CT scans to provide advanced care and consultations. The University of California, Irvine School of medicine has incorporatedGoogle glass into their curriculum. The unique ability of Google glass to display information in a smartphone-like format can be used to record patient careand student training activities.
The Final Say
Medical science is rapidly advancing, which makes it essential for future doctors to familiarize themselves with the latest technologies to increase their knowledge and develop the skills necessary to become brilliant physicians and deliver excellent care.
Caribbean medical schools that are incorporating technologies into their curriculum are preparing their students to deal with different challenging and emergency scenarios during their time at medical school.