So far, the University of Phoenix isn’t granting M.D. degrees, but increasingly medical schools are adopting innovative solutions, particularly IT applications, for teaching.  The University of Central Florida, as we mentioned in an earlier issue, assigns an “avatar” which each incoming students cares for during the full length of their training.  Simulation devices are another area where electronic and automated solutions thrive in the education market.  And, that market itself is growing-4 new medical schools created in 2008, bringing the U. S. total to 130.  Even so, the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that the nation will have about 159,000 fewer physicians than it needs by 2025.  Automators, get cranking. 

See 3 articles on medical simulation.

The Evidence-Base for Using Simulation in Medical Education: Selected Readings and Executive Summary

Building a National Agenda for Simulation-based Medical Education

 Simulation-Based Medical Education: An Ethical Imperative