H1N1 spreading in colleges and universities

I'm glad that I'm not a college student this year. According to this CNN report, H1N1 (swine flu) appears to have infected over 2,600 students at Washington State University. Sounds like people should stay at home and take their courses online. Distance learning is now very effective thanks to major advances in communications technologies.

The school is following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the local health department by "treating all patients with influenza-like symptoms as if they have H1N1."

As H1N1 spreads to more colleges this fall and winter, I wonder how this will impact academic performance. Wouldn't you love to have an excuse for those lousy grades? I was sick during finals. I missed too many classes. I was quarantined.

Health IT and the NEJM

I don't think I've ever seen so much content related to health IT in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). I'm sure more and more universities are offering programs in medical informatics and health informatics. The March 25, 2009 issue of the NEJM had an article titled, "Use of Electronic Health Records in U.S. Hospitals." The issue that I got today has an article on health IT by David Blumenthal, MD, MPP.

NY Times: Harvard Medical School and Ethics

There's a very interesting story on the NY Times about Harvard medical school and ethics as it relates to relationships with industry. We're primarily talking about the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, but we must also remember medical device and diagnostic equipment companies. In any case, Harvard professors are deeply involved in industry-funded research and many of them are also paid speakers and consultants for several of these companies. Conflict of interest is the key buzzword (or in this case, buzzphrase). How do you resolve any potential conflicts of interest in such situations? It can get quite complicated, especially if you have significant ties to industry. However, I believe that it can be done, but that's not to say that everyone out there is doing it correctly.

There have been many stories of highly-ranked academic professors quitting their academic careers to work for industry. I think people need to find what's right for them, and for some, a career in non-clinical medicine is the right fit. I personally know several people who have transitioned from academia to pharma and most of them seem to enjoy the different challenges and rewards faced in a corporate environment. Of course, there are pros and cons to every decision, including the decision about leaving academia. The bottom line is that it's a very personal decision.

Online Master of Science in Health Communication

Boston University (BU) offers an Online Master of Science in Health Communication. For those of you who are considering a career transition into medical communications, you may want to look into this relatively new degree program. I miss my days in Boston. It's such a wonderful city for a college student. However, if you don't live in Boston, you can still get educated by some of the great colleges in New England. Boston University is an internationally respected university with a reputation for excellence and extensive research and ranks among the Top 100 National Universities according to U.S. News & World Report college rankings. Boston University is regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC).

Online Continuing Education

How do you get your continuing education? Do you take classes? Read? Online programs?

Many more people are getting their continuing education online. Do you ever consider getting an online master's degree (say an MBA, an MPH, an MEd, an MS, or an MA)? You've probably seen ads for Walden University, the University of Phoenix, Capella University, DeVry University, and others.

But did you know that some of the most prestigious universities offer online master's degrees? For instance, Johns Hopkins offers an online MPH program where the vast majority of the coursework is Internet-based. Emory University offers a similar online MPH.

Getting a master's degree has many benefits, even if you're a seasoned healthcare professional. There's a reason why executive MBA programs are so popular among senior-level corporate executives. There's so much you can learn in the classroom, but more importantly - there's so much you can learn from each of your colleagues and peers. If you're planning on a career change, then you may want to look at some sources of continuing education. Maybe it will be worth your investment to even enroll in a degree program.