CMED receives technology grant
A $297,000 grant was awarded to Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine for video conferencing technology.
The grant was awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture. The Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program is specifically designed to assist rural communities in acquiring long distance learning and telemedical technologies, so professors and students can communicate by interactive video conferencing.
Associate Professor, Steve Vance, said this grant fits the purpose of CMED well.
"(CMED’s) purpose is providing service to rural and underserved areas, we had to have a way to place students in these environments and still have them constantly communicate with each other," Vance said.
The grant will aid in the purchases of technology that will allow third-year students to communicate and share information with peers and professors. Without this grant, CMED would not be able to purchase the technology until finances were stable.
Jim Knight, director of marketing and communications, said continuous communication for third-year students at a practice in a different area of the state is crucial, because of CMED’s team-based learning approach.
"Third-year students spend six months at these practices, with this technology they don’t have to lose that connection they spent the first two years building with one another," he said. "With this technology they will always feel connected to CMU while still being able to get hands on experience at a practice from physicians."
This technology would connect multiple students in an audio and video session where they can share what they have learned with one another. Assistant Dean of Institute Technology John Rathje said students will be able to share content from anything as simple as a powerpoint presentation to medical simulations.
"It’s not just sharing files, its real time exchange of dialogue and learning," he said. "Each student would have to agree to communicate through the site or video being shared, so we don’t have outside sources interfering or eavesdropping in on the conversations."
Vance, Rathje and Rick Middleton, research and sponsored program officer and grant writer, pursued grants that would fit well with the purpose of the college. After applying and being awarded the grant, CMED is set to implement this technology in practices through the application process as early as July 2015.
"(CMED) is going to expand its partnership with practices all over Michigan are," said Vance. "Initially our partners were included in the process, those the practices that the initial funding with go to. However, when we do start expanding we can apply for additional funds."
CMED will be working with Cisco, the Office of Information of Technology, and partner hospitals to begin purchasing and implementing the technology in practices third-year students will be attending in 2015.
