Interactive systems in medical training

As in other fields,the use of computers is spreading in undergraduate and continuing education in medicine. However, compared with other subject areas medicine is clearly lagging behind in this. A survey recently conducted by the Society of German Engineers (VDI) has shown that computers are used for undergraduate courses in only 24% of the medical faculties of German universities. The average for all subject areas, on the other hand, is 51%, with the engineering faculties obviously in first place. If we consider the how far daily life in clinical research and medical practice is meanwhile determined by computers, it is indeed amazing that interactive systems are still used so little in the course of study leading to medical qualification. This is an area beset by prejudice preventing a broader application of the new electronic media. Part of the problem must be concerned with the fact that many university teaching staff still belong to a generation that did not become familiar with electronic data processing in early life.