According to Maj Gen G Rajagopal AVSM, dean and deputy commandant, AFMC, "Information technology is changing the way we live and the medical profession is no exception. The effects range from enabling existing methods of clinical practice to robotic surgery and from traditional institutional teaching to distance learning."
The computer club of AFMC has embarked on a series of workshops to keep its faculty and students abreast of these developments.
Aptly named 'Digital Doctors', the series covers half-day workshops on topics such as 'Clinical video editing', 'Authoring Wikipedia', and 'Using MS Powerpoint effectively'.
Lt Col Rakesh Datta, officer-in-charge of the workshop, said that the course was similar to those conducted in leading medical universities globally. "It will make the newer generation of doctors aware of future challenges and research opportunities," Datta said.
Apart from other techniques, the smart use of Google as a search engine was also taught to the participants.
Another unique feature of the workshop was that undergraduate students themselves gave demonstrations and tutored their peers apart from the trained faculty. More than 40 participants performed live hands on practice, using the recently installed high-speed wireless Internet zone at AFMC on their laptops. AFMC also conducted a two-day water colouring workshop for medical cadets by artist Milind Mulick. Over 50 participants, including cadets and faculty members, attended the workshop.