Education

The science and technology of the field of Biomedical Informatics are increasingly important in a number of other disciplines in addition to the growing numbers of training programs focused on informatics. Training requirements in medicine, nursing and other clinical fields include acquisition of skills and knowledge that are part of the domain of Biomedical Informatics. Doctoral programs in nursing require training in Biomedical Informatics, and the Clinical Informatics Subspecialty certification program of the American Board of Preventive Medicine requires similar training for physicians interested in pursuing this pathway. In addition, the demand for skilled workers in industry, government and academia who can apply Biomedical Informatics to real-world challenges in health care and science continues to grow.

The faculty members of the Center for Biomedical Informatics at Charles Drew University (CDU) provide a number of training and educational offerings designed to improve the knowledge and skills of students and clinicians in this important field.

Introductory Graduate Course

The graduate course, MBS 520, “Principles of Biomedical Informatics” provides a semester-long intensive exposure to the theory and practice of the field of Biomedical Informatics. All students enrolled in CDU’s Master of Biomedical Sciences program are required to take this course, starting in the Fall of 2016. Course co-directors are Robert Jenders, MD and Omolola Ogunyemi, PhD.

CTSI Biomedical Informatics Module

Offered annually in the spring, this training module is part of the educational program of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles in which the CDU Center for Biomedical Informatics actively participates. Registration is conducted via the CTSI (http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu).

Medical Student Thesis Program

Faculty members in the Center serve as mentor in this required program for fourth-year CDU medical students, who conduct research and write a thesis describing it as part of their graduation requirements.

Nursing Informatics

Faculty members in the Center contribute lectures in the CDU School of Nursing curriculum, including Nursing 521 = Nursing Theory.