Health Informatics Research Training at Oregon Health
Sciences University
The Biomedical Information Communication Center (BICC) at Oregon
Health Sciences University (OHSU) is seeking qualified applicants for
its National Library of Medicine-sponsored postdoctoral research
training program in health informatics. With seven full-time faculty,
the BICC is one of the country's leading institutions in health
informatics research. Its health informatics training program is
designed to prepare individuals for many types of careers in the
application of information technology in health care.
Facilities
Nestled in the west hills of Portland, OHSU is just an hour away from
the Cascade mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The training program is
housed in the state-of-the-art 74,000 sq. ft. BICC Building, which
contains offices, classrooms, the library, and other information
technology resources. Advanced personal computers and workstations
are available for all fellows. Virtually all computers on campus are
connected to the campus network, which is connected to the Internet.
OHSU also offers its own on-line information service to all Oregon
physicians and has personal computers throughout the clinics and
hospitals, affording many unique opportunities for training and
research.
Prerequisites
Qualifications for applicants include an M.D. (residency training
preferred) or a Ph.D. in either biological science or an area relevant to
informatics.
Support
Financial support in the form of NLM-funded fellowships is available
for U.S. citizens or permanent residents only. Additional funding may
be available from the Veterans Administration. Clinical opportunities
are also available for clinicians in many specialties.
Curriculum
The primary focus of the program is to provide a structured research
experience in one or two of the areas listed below (under Faculty
Interests), along with course work in informatics. Fellows will survey
the field broadly during their two to three year fellowship and will be
expected to complete research projects. Upon completion of their
training, they should be able to describe their results clearly in both
oral and written form. The overall goals are to prepare trainees to (a)
direct their own health informatics research efforts at medical centers
that actively embrace the Integrated Advanced Information
Management Systems (IAIMS) agenda, or (b) take leadership positions
in the growing number of hospital and/or commercial efforts in health
informatics.
There are many opportunities for classroom learning in the program.
The BICC faculty itself teaches several courses, including an
introductory informatics course as well as those on advanced topics,
such as information retrieval and medical decision making. Most
fellows have availed themselves to a seminar series for fellows in the
Division of General Internal Medicine and/or formal courses available
in statistics, computer science, and decision science at nearby
universities. There is a degree option for a Master of Public Health
with a specialization in health informatics. The BICC also provides a
bi-weekly seminar, with a combination of inside and outside speakers.
Faculty Interests
BICC faculty work on a variety of their own as well as institutional
projects. These include:
- Clinical information systems and computer-based patient records
- Information retrieval
- Outcomes research
- Clinicians' information needs
- Telemedicine
- Medical decision making
- Patient information systems
- Neural networks
Application
Applications are now being accepted for January 1, July 1, and
September 1, 1995 start dates. Applications for the July and
September start dates should be received no later than February 1,
1995.
For more information, please contact:
Kent A. Spackman, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Director
BICC
Oregon Health Sciences University
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd.
Portland, OR 97201-3098
Voice: 503-494-4502
Fax: 503-494-4551
Email: spackman at ohsu.edu
William Hersh, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Informatics
Oregon Health Sciences University
BICC
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd.
Portland, OR 97201-3098
Voice: 503-494-4563
Fax: 503-494-4551
Email: hersh at ohsu.edu
