Graduate Program in Medical. informatics at the University of. Utah

Transcription

1 Educatin and Training H.R. Warner Department f Medical Infrmatics, Schl f Medicine, University f Utah, Salt Lake City, USA Educatin and Training Graduate Prgram in Medical Infrmatics at the University f Utah Abstract: The graduate student prgram in medical infrmatics at the University f Utah described in this paper cmprises a Master f Science degree (since 1976) and a Ph.D. degree (since 1962). The average prgram length is 2 years fr M.Sc. and 3-5 years fr Ph.D. The aims f the prgram are t prepare graduates fr careers in medical infrmatics in academic, hspital r industrial settings. There are several different curses f study, r tracks, within the department ranging frm Expert Systems, Genetic Epidemilgy, Health Care Quality, Hspital Infrmatin Systems, Medical Imaging, Medical Physics, t an intensive neyear M.Sc. degree curse fr physicians. After the first three quarters the students are required t take a qualifying examinatin in which they qualify fr a Masters r Ph.D. degree. The prgram cvers the ttal spectrum f medical infrmatics. Abut 10 students are admitted each year. There are 14 full-time faculty and 9 adjunct faculty. The ttal number f graduates is 151. Keywrds: Medical Infrmatics, Graduate Prgram, Educatin, Trainmg 1. Intrductin Appraches t educatin in medical infrmatics at the University f Utah are based n 16 years f experience with a Master f Science degree prgram and abut 30 years f experience with a Ph.D. prgram. 2. Curriculum Characteristics The curriculum is ffered by the U n i versity f Utah, Schl f Medicine, Department f Medical Infrmatics. In 1962, students were first admitted fr a degree prgram.majr curriculum revisins ccur every 3 r 4 years. The prgram has been frmally accredited by the Bard f Regents fr the University f Utah. The degree/qualificatin awarded are Master f Science (M.Sc.) since 1976, and Dctr f Philsphy (Ph.D.) since The prgram duratin fr Ph.D. is 3-5 years and fr M.Sc. abut 2 years. The department cnsists f 14 full-time faculty and 9 adjunct faculty, lcated at the University f Utah Health Sciences Center, LDS Hspital, Primary Children's Medical Center and Research Park. Prgram Philsphy, Objectives and Fcus Aims: The aims are t prepare graduates fr careers in medical infrmatics in academic, hspital r industrial set tings. Department fcus:. Research effrts f the department cncern cmputer applicatins medicine, genetics and phy There are eight primary areas Autmated medical d mg, Medical knwledge en Yearbk f Medical Infrmatics

2 Hspital infrmatin systems/clinical data cllectin, Develpment f a unified medical language and text interpretatin, Genetic epidemilgy, Image analysis and bilgical signal prcessing, Mathematical mdeling f physilgical systems, Simulatin as a tl fr medical educatin. Health Care envirnment: Students are trained in a hspital and academic setting in which research prjects are in many cases carried t the pint f becming a regular service t the hspital r schl. Sme prjects result in new cmmercial prducts. Upn graduatin students are emplyed in academic, hspital r industrial prfessins. Department Tracks: There are several different curses f study, r tracks, within the department. They are described in the Appendix. Expert Systems: This track emphasizes the applicatin f techniques frm expert systems research and artificial intelligence t prblems in medicine. The student will have access t expert systems implementatins n stand-alne wrkstatins and n mainframe cmputers. Tls supprting bth symblic and mathematical techniques are used. Emphasis is n develping practical tls that enhance the delivery f medical care and cntribute t the bjectives f medical educatin. Genetic Epidemilgy: Study fcuses n genes which predispse t cancer. Advanced statistical meth. ds are used with mlecular data t map, islate, and analyze these genes. Health. Care Quality Track: This emphasizes the applicatin f expert systems and interactive learn- Yearbk f Medical Infrmatics 1994 ing mdalities t facilitate institutinal quality management, and t maintain prfessinal cmpetence in the health care field. The student learns cmputer applicatins related t basic principles f: (a) quality management, including assessing and imprving the effectiveness and efficiency f care; and (b) science infrmatin management, including identificatin f infrmatin needs, and retrieval and applicatin f infrmatin t enhance the benefits f care. Emphasis is n develping practical cmputer means t identify pririty areas fr quality imprvement, as well as use f infrmatics technlgy fr cntinuing self-educatin t enhance cl inical diagnstic and therapeutic perfrmance. Hspital Infrmatin Systems: This track is designed t give the student a clear understanding f the requirements, cncepts, and methds in analyzing and develping hspital infrmatin systems (HIS). Emphasis is n the clinical cmpnents f such systems and their integratin int the traditinal administrative and financial aspects f a HIS. Students are given bth curse wrk and practical prject experience in wrking with a HIS. The HELP system at LDS Hspital is used as a labratry where students can bth study and develp applicatins fr a HIS.. Medical Imaging: The track emphasizes the applicatins f infrmatin prcessing in medical imaging. Students participate in the Medical Imaging Research Lab (MIRL) with students and faculty frm several ther departments. Research areas currently include digital X ray imaging, magnetic resnance,. and ptical micrscpy. Medical Physics: This emphasizes physilgy, mathematical mdeling, and instrumentatin with a fcus n the develpment f nn- Educatin and Training invasive methds fr btaining physilgical data. Students are intrduced t the value f varius types f data in clinical management f critically ill patients. Research areas include instrumentatin develpment as well as clinical research studies directed tward evaluatin f ptential imprvements in management prvided by new measurement mdalities. One Year M.Sc. Degree fr Physicians: This intensive ne-year curse is designed t give MDs the backgrund and knwledge in medical infrmatics t have a wrking knwledge f clinical cmputing. A thesis research prject in the field furthers the student's ability t perfrm an experiment and typically evaluate a clinical applicatin f cmputing. Prgram Structure The prgram cmprises fur quarters. There is n evening r ff-campus lcatin where classes are taught. There is n practicum as such, and the curriculum is heavily riented tward research wrk. During the first year the student is required t take a series f curses taught within the department. These curses are designed t prvide a brad, cmprehensive backgrund in medical infrmatics. Fr a listing f curses that are ffered, see the Appendix. After the first three quarters the students are required t take a qualifying examinatin in which they qualify t pursue a Masters r Ph.D. degree. Each student then chses a track which prvides the ptimal backgrund fr the subject he/she chses as the thesis tpic. Prgram Technlgy The students in the prgram at Utah wrk with a variety f hardware and sftware prducts depending upn their chsen field f research. Thse wrking at the LDS Hspital wrk with a large ten-prcessr Tandem 117

3 Educatin and Training tstem that runs the big HELP hspi.al infrmatin system. (The HELP system netwrk als includes several hundred PCs and minicmputers.) At the University; the Macintsh is the primary tl fr the develpment f the Iliad prgram and the knwledge engineering activities that take place. At bth these lcatins and at the Research Park facility where the Genetic Epidemilgy divisin resides, students wrk with UNIX-based machines. A bra:d range f sftware tls is available, and the students becme quite familiar with a number f prgramming languages. Enrllment/Admissin Intake, Applicatin Requirements Eight t ten students are admitted per year, many f whm are wmen (varies). Start is in the au.tumn quarter nly. Entrance requirements are: ~ One year f integral and differential calculus, tw years f cllege level science, ne curse r equivalent experience in any prgramming language, undergraduate degree with a grade pint f 3.3 r better (B+ average), three letters f recmmendatin frm peple wh knw the academic capabilities f the applicant, a letter frm the applicant stating backgrund and career interests, Graduate Recrd Examinatin (GRE) r MCAT test scres averaging at least 60%, a TOEFL scre f 600 r better fr freign students, interview, in persn r by telephne. Graduates The ttal number f graduates is 151 (M.Sc.: 82, Ph.D.: 69, male: 124, female: 27). Their ccupatins cver a wide range. Examples fr ccupatins fm.sc. graduates are: Assciate Directr f Clinical Research, Systems Engineer, (Medical Systems) Prgrammer, Systems Analyst, Senir Bimedical Engineer, Reginal Data Manager, Research Assistant in Genetic Epidemilgy, Resident in Anesthesilgy, NMR Scientist, Prduct Manager fr Health Care Systems, Quality/Technlgy Resurces Manager, Directr f Business in Operatins fr Messaging Systems, and Practicing Pathlgist. Examples fr ccupatins f Ph.D. graduates are: MRI Engineer, Prgram in Health Services Manager, Assistant Prfessr f Internal Medicine, Prfessr f Medical Infrmatics, Assistant Prfessr flnfrmatin Systems, Assciate Prfessr f Cmputer Science, Medical Physics Researcher, Sftware Engineer, Applicatins Manager fr Health Infrmatin Systems, Imaging Specialist, Directr f Cchlear Implant Lab, Bimedical Engineer, Directr Clinical Infrmatin Systems, and Patent Agent. Types f Occupatins Students Hld Academic faculty, industry, prgramming, starting their wn cmpanies, etc. 3. Discussin The graduate student prgram in medical infrmatics at the University f Utah described in this paper cmprising a Master f Science degree and a Ph.D. degree has been shwn t be successful with respect t the number and the careers f the graduates in academic, hspital r industrial settings. This is due t a prgram which has been reviewed and mdified every 3 r 4 years and cvers the ttal spectrum f medical infrmatics. Appendix Required Curses (MDINF: Medical Infrmatics) -Fall quarter MDINF 651 Hspital Infrmatin Systems (3 units), MDINF 620 Medical Decisin Making (3 units), Physilgy 520 r Human Genetics Winter q:uartet MDINF631 MDINF652 MDINF702 -Spring quarter MDINF653 Medicine fr Engineers and Scientists (3 units), Bimedical Experimental Design (3 units), Knwledge Engineering (3 units), (may be taken winter r spring quarter). (MDlNF 620 is a prerequisite). Bimedical Experimental Design (4 units). 110 Yearbk f Medical Infrmatics 1994

4 Educatin and Training -All quarters MDINF771* MDINF670 Graduate Seminar (I unit), Jurnal Club (all Ph.D. students) (1 unit). Departmental Curse Offerings Hrs Class CLASS Survey f Cmputers in Medicine, 3 620* Medical Decisin Making, Mathematical Mdeling f Physilgical Systems, 3 631* Medicine fr Engineers & Scientists, Applicatins f Physics in Medicine, Applicatins f Physics in Medicine, Genetic Epidemilgy, Genetic Epidemilgy, 3 651* Hspital Infrmatin Systems, 3 652* Bimedical Experimental Design, 4 653* Bimedical Experimental Design, 1 695** Jurnal Club, 3 702* Intrductin t Knwledge Engineering, 771* Graduate Seminar. * Required Curses fr all M.Sc. and Ph.D. students. ** Required Curses fr all Ph.D. students. Recmmended Curses Frm Other Departments (CPSC: Cmputer Science; FPMD: Family and Preventive Medicine; MATH: Mathematics; BIOL: Bilgy; BIOEN: Biengineering; ELEN: Electrical Engineering; PHYSL: Physilgy; ECON: Ecnmics) CP SC 501 CP SC 502 CP SC 503 CP SC 537 CP SC 538 CP SC 546 CP SC 547 CP SC 548 CP SC 553 cp sc 567 CP SC 651,2 FPMD 640 FPMD710 FPMD 711 FPMD 713 FPMD 749 MATH504,5 MATH507 MATH508,9 MATH 5 11, 12, 13 MATH 607,8,9 BIOL 501 Prgramming Language Cncepts I, Prgramming Language Cncepts II, Knwledge-based Prgramming, Intrductin t Cmputer Visin, Advanced Cmputer Visin, Lisp and AI Prgramming, Artificial Intelligence, Expert Systems, Data Base Systems, Digital Signal Prcessing, Cmputer Graphics, Health Care Organizatin, Bistatistics, Statistical Methds in Epidemilgy, Advanced Bistatistics, Study Design fr Research and Evaluatin, Applied Stchastic Prcesses, Intrductin t Prbability, Statistical Inference, Mathematical Bilgy, Mathematics Statistics, Mdern Human Genetics, Yearbk f Medical Infrmatics

5 Educatin and Training ~ BlOL545 BIOL 551 BIOEN 501 BIOEN 502 BIOEN 505 BIOEN 551 BIOEN 552 BIOEN 601 BIOEN640 BIOEN 651 BIOEN652 BIOEN655 BIOEN704 ELEN 320* ELEN620 ELEN624,5 ELEN 633,5 PHYSL603 ECON 519 Mlecular Bilgy and Genetic Engineering, Ppulatin and Quantitative Genetics, Analg Biinstrumentatin, Digital Biinstrumentatin, Ultrasund Biinstrumentatin, Physics f X-ray and Ultrasund Radilgy, Physics f Nuclear Medical and Magnetic Resnance, Micrprcessr-based Biinstrumentatin, Quantitative Physilgy, Advanced Tpics in Magnetic Resnance Imaging, Recnstructin Techniques in Medical Imaging, Simulatin and Mdeling f Physilgical Systems, Diffusin in Pharmaceutical Systems, Signals and Systems, Advanced Digital Signal Prcessing, Neural Netwrks, Furier Optics, Medical Physilgy, The Ecnmics f Health. Address f the authr: ' Dr. Hmer R. Warner, Department f Medical Infrmatics, Schl f Medicine, University f Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA Yearbk f Medical Infrmatics 1994