Virtual Patient Helps Students Develop Physical Exam Skills

Two Columbia P&S faculty members are among the educators collaborating with i-Humans Patients Inc. on a project to strengthen the effectiveness of medical education programs. The goal of the project, which is supported by a grant from the American Medical Association, is to advance critical diagnostic skills, reduce the number of unnecessary medical tests, and prepare the next generation of physicians to improve patient outcomes. Like a flight simulator for medical students, i-Human’s virtual patient platform replicates the diagnostic reasoning process, teaching how to recognize symptoms, conduct physical exams, and interpret results.

The two P&S participants are Mary Jo Fink, MD, assistant professor of medicine (in the Center for Family and Community Medicine) at CUMC, and Deepthiman Gowda, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at CUMC.