Abstract
Background The Vanderbilt Clinical Informatics Center (VCLIC) is based in the Department of
Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) and operates across Vanderbilt University Medical Center
(VUMC) and Vanderbilt University (VU) with a goal of enabling and supporting clinical
informatics research and practice. VCLIC supports several types of applied clinical
informatics teaching, including teaching of students in courses, professional education
for staff and faculty throughout VUMC, and workshops and conferences that are open
to the public.
Objectives In this paper, we provide a detailed accounting of our center and institution's methods
of educating and training faculty, staff, students, and trainees from across the academic
institution and health system on clinical informatics topics, including formal training
programs and informal applied learning sessions.
Methods Through a host of informal learning events, such as workshops, seminars, conference-style
events, bite-size instructive videos, and hackathons, as well as several formal education
programs, such as the Clinical Informatics Graduate Course, Master's in Applied Clinical
Informatics, Medical Student Integrated Science Course, Graduate Medical Education
Elective, and Fellowship in Clinical Informatics, VCLIC, and VUMC provide opportunities
for faculty, students, trainees, and even staff to engage with Clinical Informatics
topics and learn related skills.
Results The described programs have trained hundreds of participants from across the academic
and clinical enterprises. Of the VCLIC-held events, the majority of attendees indicated
through surveys that they were satisfied, with the average satisfaction score being
4.63/5, and all events averaging a satisfaction score of greater than 4. Across the
20 events VCLIC has held, our largest audiences are DBMI, HealthIT operational staff,
and students from the medical and nursing schools.
Conclusion VCLIC has created and delivered a successful suite of formal and informal educational
events and programs to disseminate clinical informatics knowledge and skills to learners
across the academic institution and health care system.
Keywords
medical informatics - Graduate Medical Education - medical students - academic medical
centers
