Application and Usage of Wireless PDAs in a First-Year Medical Curriculum

摘要

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have played an increasingly prominent role in the clinical rotation components (i.e., 3rd and 4th years) of many medical programs. However, to date very few medical schools have actively utilized these devices in the first year of medical studies. This paper will focus on the role librarians played in the implementation of wireless PDAs as a learning tool, into a new first-year medical curriculum. Issues discussed will include: the collaborative selection of a "Gold Standard" suite of PDA software; PDA orientation and training for faculty and students; integration of these devices; student PDA usage; and future directions.