With lack of teachers, and advancement in technology, delivering lessons, replete with animation, through tablets is catching up.
In technology age, how can learning anatomy, physiology or general medicine be restricted to just classrooms and labs?
A tablet carrying medical education in digital and animation form is currently underway. Once introduced, medical students, as well as practising doctors can all look at enhancing their knowledge base or clarifying concepts while on the move.
“We are currently working out the intellectual property and security issues. Once these are sorted out, we will launch the tablet. A definite timeframe cannot be given at this point,” says Guru Moorthy, director, Medical Education Research Centre for Educational Technologies (MEdRC), that develops digital programmes for medical education.
With a paucity of doctors needed to train students, and with technological advancements, it makes sense to bring out a tablet that can help students access anytime, anywhere, says Moorthy.
He explains that the storage capacity of tablets is 32GB.
“While the capacity of the e-learning programme for medicine that currently we have, incorporating all the topics, is around 1.5 terabytes. So the challenge is to make the e-learning programme, which can currently be accessed through desktops and laptops, tablet friendly,” says Moorthy.
When launched, the tablet will not be a replacement for medical education, but will only supplement regular curriculums.
Presently MEdRC has an online medical programme for undergraduates and postgraduates called SmarTeach, that takes assistance of specially crafted 2D and 3D animations to explain various medical topics.
There is a constant need for upgrading knowledge amongst medical students and doctors, say experts.
“And when there is a paucity of doctors to train upcoming talent, e-learning gains prominence,” says Dr P Srinivas, who delivers lectures in front of the camera through power point presentations. These lectures are then converted into 2D and 3D animations on Dr Srinivas’ instructions, and pieced together into SmarTeach, that students subscribe to.
“We are able to better understand the topics since the content is in an animated form,” says Zainul A, a first year medical student.
And taking SmarTeach to the tablet will be the next step. SmarTeach was used by 1,800 students last year.
“In 2013-14, we expect 6,000 students, including those pursuing nursing or paramedical courses. This digital programme has been approved by the Medical Council of India,” says Moorthy.
Somebody call the doc please
A 2012 Planning Commission draft on health pointed to a dearth of medical professionals in India.
There are only six doctors for every 10,000 people. Contrast this with the US, where the doctor:population ratio is 1:350.
Only about 46, 500 students from both private and government colleges combined, are admitted annually to the undergraduate medical programme. Of which roughly 40,000 graduate every year with an MBBS degree.
Only 22,000 postgraduate seats are available annually both in government and private colleges combined.
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