Improving medical education with a hosted digital pathology solution

Improving UNC Medical Education with a Hosted Aperio ePathology Solution

Introduction

Electronic technology is not only changing the delivery of medicine, but is also providing higher quality and more efficient means for medical education. The use of digital slides for education of medical students and pathology residents is helping to pave the way for an accelerated acceptance of this technology throughout anatomic pathology.

Students entering medical schools are typically quite technology savvy and are used to learning via a variety of electronic devices including computers, tablets, and smartphones. With the usage of web-based resources in education growing over the last number of decades, digitized pathology and histology lessons are providing a paradigm for higher quality education. In addition, a variety of efficiencies are being recognized that can benefit medical schools’ evertightening education budgets.

The University of North Carolina (UNC) Medical School, Chapel Hill, is ranked as one the top medical schools in the United States. Keeping in the forefront of education, the pathology department has been a pioneer in transforming its education curriculum from microscope-based to fully-digitized lessons that can be used in or outside the classroom.