Formal Education in Medical Informatics

Abstract

A specialized curriculum for education in medical informatics at university level was initiated jointly by the University of Heidelberg and the Polytechnical School of Heilbronn in 1972. The experience gained during the past decade is reviewed as an example of a curriculum of applied informatics in general and of medical informatics in particular. For this purpose, the underlying basic concept is described and its realization in the current third version of the curriculum specified in some detail. In particular, its practice-oriented didactic concepts are emphasized. The concept and its realization are discussed on the basis of a review of the experience of 51 graduates.