University of Florida's PharmD program to require iPod touch

[AppleInsider]

The University of Florida is the second school in as many months to announce that students enrolling in one of its curriculums this fall will be required to own either an iPhone or iPod touch, highlighting an increasing role for Apple's multi-touch devices in higher education.

"All entering PharmD students must have a iPod touch (or iPhone) and a computer meeting minimum UF and College of Pharmacy (COP) requirements," the university said on its College of Pharmacy website.

The school, which is ranked as one of the top 10 in the nation by US News and World Report, first began offering its Doctor of Pharmacy online degree program for licensed pharmacist back in 1994. Since then, the curriculum has "grown to be the largest and most sought after pharmacy program for employed pharmacists to earn the Doctor of Pharmacy degree," the school says.

The health care profession in general has been amongst the quickest to latch on to Apple's iPhone and App Store ecosystem ever since the company announced its iPhone Developer program last March.

Medical reference applications, blood glucose monitor accessories, and software that allows obstetricians to use their iPhones to remotely access virtual real-time and historical waveform data for their patients, are just some examples of the growing trend.

The University of Florida's announcement late last week arrives on the heels of a similar requirement set forth in May by the University of Missouri. It too said that beginning this fall, all of its journalism students will be required to own an iPhone or iPod touch.

The university later explained that it won't enforce the requirement, but listed it as such so that students could include the cost of their Apple handhelds in their financial needs estimates.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[akabaka]

I've heard they're doing this at the State University of Florida too, and even at such prestigious schools as the Technology Institute of Massachusetts.

[wizard69]

Really what does an iPhone or Touch do that is absolutely required to obtain a degree? I fully understand how useful my iPhone is for my personal life but that is a choice I made. So I'm just wondering what apps make the Touch devices required.

Dave

[Wil Maneker]

Originally Posted by wizard69

Really what does an iPhone or Touch do that is absolutely required to obtain a degree? I fully understand how useful my iPhone is for my personal life but that is a choice I made. So I'm just wondering what apps make the Touch devices required.

Dave

Wasn't there an app designed early in the life of the iPhone specifically for identifying medicine as well as listing the drugs that should not be taken in combination? A pharmacy program could leverage that for field use. Also, I'm sure the school wants to be viewed as innovative/"hip".

[Quadra 610]

Wow. Seems a bit over the top, but Apple has really caused a revolution with its handhelds, no doubt about it.

[Eriamjh]

In high school, I had to buy a scientific calculator for trig class. No big deal. For college, I bought a more expensive calculator ($125 in 1987 or about $235 in today's money - about the same as an iPod Touch!

It is a very specific requirement, but not really unreasonable. It is college after all.

However, this poo-poos anyone's complaints:

The university later explained that it won't enforce the requirement, but listed it as such so that students could include the cost of their Apple handhelds in their financial needs estimates.

[Porchland]

Apparently, if you post that there's a mistake in the headline -- the story originally said Florida University -- AI makes the correction and deletes your post. Noted.

Hey, since akabaka's joke doesn't make sense now in light of the correction, maybe you should delete his post too.

[MacTripper]

I read a article it has to do with doctors getting real time data and all, better patient care and so on.

Maybe one day people will have built in micro EKG's and defibrillators, the doctor gets a call... saved your life again.

[lilgto64]

Originally Posted by Wil Maneker

Wasn't there an app designed early in the life of the iPhone specifically for identifying medicine as well as listing the drugs that should not be taken in combination? A pharmacy program could leverage that for field use. Also, I'm sure the school wants to be viewed as innovative/"hip".

Are you thinking of ePocrates? which was not developed for the iPhone - but rather ported to the iPhone - and at least when it first came out did not include as much data as the previous mobile versions did - I haven't looked at it recently but I suspect it has improved. Not sure if that one one of them or not but some apps are free but require a subscription of membership to access all the available data - such as retail price of a medication.

[aitala]

Yes, by making it 'required' students would be able to use financial aid funds to pay for the devices.

Dr E

[AdamIIGS]

Originally Posted by aitala

Yes, by making it 'required' students would be able to use financial aid funds to pay for the devices.

Dr E

You mean instead of spending it all on Booze and 7-11 burritos at 3am?

[Johnny Mozzarella]

These can also be used in lecture halls to test the class.
This allows the prof to get real time feedback to see if students are understanding what is being taught.

[aitala]

exactly.

[wizard69]

Originally Posted by Quadra 610

Wow. Seems a bit over the top, but Apple has really caused a revolution with its handhelds, no doubt about it.

Seriously when the custom hardware based Touch devices come out it is then that the revolution will really get going. I haven't tried a 3GS yet but my 3G iPhone hobbles itself just enough to make me want whack it like a mole. So faster better hardware is certainly desired.

AS to what is coming soon with respect to the iPod line, I'm really wondering if Apple can make that transition to custom SoC for this rev. It would be nice to have a pocketable device with 100's of GB of storage and extremely long battery life times. Frankly the rumor mill has been a bit quite about the Touch line up, makes me wonder if the reporters ran out of Alcohol. Everyone is assuming a simple port of iPhones hardware but I can't help recalling somebody at Apple indicating that the Touches might go in a different direction.

Oh well

Dave

[AppleStud]

Originally Posted by Porchland

Apparently, if you post that there's a mistake in the headline -- the story originally said Florida University -- AI makes the correction and deletes your post. Noted.

Hey, since akabaka's joke doesn't make sense now in light of the correction, maybe you should delete his post too.

Hah - tread lightly, though. Let's just say I've found out the hard way that AI takes their "journalism" credentials very seriously. Don't insult the man.

[akabaka]

Originally Posted by Porchland

Apparently, if you post that there's a mistake in the headline -- the story originally said Florida University -- AI makes the correction and deletes your post. Noted.

Hey, since akabaka's joke doesn't make sense now in light of the correction, maybe you should delete his post too.

Heh, that will be my excuse in the future whenever my jokes make no sense. "Someone deleted the context!"'

And with regard to "Florida University," let me just say, "Go FU Gators!"

(I'm a 'Nole BTW. )

[Trajectory]

Originally Posted by AppleStud

Hah - tread lightly, though. Let's just say I've found out the hard way that AI takes their "journalism" credentials very seriously. Don't insult the man.

Well, at least they write their own stories here instead of simply copying them from other websites as some other rumors sites do.

[Porchland]

Originally Posted by akabaka

Heh, that will be my excuse in the future whenever my jokes make no sense. "Someone deleted the context!"'

And with regard to "Florida University," let me just say, "Go FU Gators!"

(I'm a 'Nole BTW. )

Vol grad. I'm with you.

[success]

Originally Posted by akabaka

And with regard to "Florida University," let me just say, "Go FU Gators!"

Do you have Tourette's ?

[OC4Theo]

This is just the beginning of things to come. When I learnt last year that the US Army was using iPhone and iPod Touch in Iraq, officially of course, I knew that a new platform has emerged.
It will not be long before every university in this country do the same as Florida.

Most people I know use the phone in their iPhone less than 20% of the total use. The rest is on applications and games, calendar and pictures, map and he rest. I personally use mine less. And when you include the video, the music, the movies, the email, and of course the dominant web browser, there is no doubt that Apple's agenda to conquer the electronic/internet age was hidden behind the "iPhone" name.

Those in the know already caught the drift. The standard has been set again by no other than Apple, and those companies who want to follow/copy, have an impossible task ahead of them.

iPhone is it! There is no doubt about that.

[AjitMD]

The iPhone/Touch can indeed revolutionize the teaching practice of various subjects including Medicine, Engineering, etc. Take the case of Medicine... Usually the 1st year starts with basic subjects like Anatomy, Histology, Neuroanatomy, etc and early integration into clinical application. With the iPod Touch entire texts with detailed images would be available instantly. Automatic links to key works and subjects directly or via the internet.

In clinical applications, real time patient info like labs, radiology studies, reports, plus real time telemetry data could be easily accessible. Some of this trend has already started and the iPhone/Touch has a huge critical lead. Once companies like GE Medical, Siemens Medical, etc start integrating this kind of info with the iPhone/Touch, there is no stopping. A new comer would have a hard time getting in. The lap top is too bulky to carry around for most physicians and other professionals.

With Engineering it beats having an iPhone/Touch in the pocket with multiple specialized apps especially for the initial years. Of course, anybody interested in designing a fractionation column, or an airplane wing, integrated circuit would want to sit down at a souped up work station or mainframe.

The challenge will be to develop well integrated software in various fields. The hardware is indeed progressing. The 3GS has 32 GB of storage and will probably increase exponentially.

[quinney]

Originally Posted by AjitMD

The lap top is too bulky to carry around for most physicians and other professionals.

Yes, but the pockets in those lab coats they wear could hold something
a little bigger than an iPod touch (wish,wish)

[kiseki]

Back in the early 80's we were required to buy programmable Casio scientific calculators for graduate level Pharm.D. programs. We needed them for pharmacokinetic calculations based on blood level data (to calculate doses of drugs with a small therapeutic window). Drug doses based on BSA(body surface area) also have to be calculated in pediatrics and oncology. With an ipod, no messy index cards with patient data or carrying around printouts of relevant medical literature in your pocket. So yeah, a calculator sized device that has apps to do all that for you would be great for clinical rotations (a requirment in a Pharm.D. program).

[jeffharris]

Of course the iPod touch or iPhone are required for a complete medical education.
I mean, after all, it functions as a full-blown TriCorder!
What medically minded type would be without one.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M...290579379&mt=8

[jeffharris]

Originally Posted by quinney

Yes, but the pockets in those lab coats they wear could hold something
a little bigger than an iPod touch (wish,wish)

http://www.germes-online.com/direct/.../Hip_Flask.jpg

[AjitMD]

Originally Posted by quinney

Yes, but the pockets in those lab coats they wear could hold something
a little bigger than an iPod touch (wish,wish)

I agree 100%. It would be better if Apple had an iPod Touch version with a bigger screen with 2x to 4x the area and hi resolution screen with WiFi and Blue Tooth and be able to tether to any cellphone for data access via Blue tooth or alternately hook up data on a BYO basis contract with carrier.

Physicians, nurses, hospitals, students, would be a big market. Would be a good way to access hi res CT, MRI or play x-rays and them zoom. Same for labs, real telemetry data of a patient in ICU.

Of course, Apple needs a product for the mass market... so meanwhile, the iPhone/Touch are great.

[LMH]

Originally Posted by Wil Maneker

Wasn't there an app designed early in the life of the iPhone specifically for identifying medicine as well as listing the drugs that should not be taken in combination? A pharmacy program could leverage that for field use. Also, I'm sure the school wants to be viewed as innovative/"hip".

Since 2003, UF began using distance learning technologies to grow its education efforts beyond Gainesville, adding campuses in JAX, St. Pete & Orlando. Bringing pharmacy education to more cities means providing more needed pharmacists in FL. They have become a model for other pharmacy schools in US on this front. The iPod touch is a natural progression in the way the pharmacy students learn and work. The dean of this college "gets" technology, and has pushed the boundaries of education for more than 10 years. It's not about trying to look hip.