Medical students find power in their palm: PDAs in a clinical rotation

Librarians partnered with School of Medicine faculty to integrate the use of handheld devices into a third-year course. This was an excellent opportunity for the library to integrate emerging technologies into the curriculum. The course planning team met regularly for three months to design the lessons. Using a list of criteria for selecting a device, the team chose the Palm Tungsten C and obtained funding for the project. Technical issues needed to be resolved before the first clinical rotation. In addition, course content was developed, faculty trained, course implemented, and challenges met. Student surveys and faculty interviews indicated that students perceived the course as worthwhile.