The Reporter: Dec 1994, Vol.5, No.4
New Graduate Program in Informatics

P&S has become the first academic institution in New York state and one of about 20 schools nationwide to offer a graduate program in medical informatics, a field of increasing growth as the medical community searches for practical ways to cut costs and reduce paperwork.

"There has been an explosion of the cost to deliver medical care over the past decade, and computers can be used to help contain, and perhaps even lower, the future cost of delivered care," says Dr. Barry A. Allen, assistant professor of medical informatics. "At the same time that we work toward cost control, we must use computers to maintain or improve the quality of the care provided. But for this to happen, we need to train more good people to build the needed systems that will assist our health care professionals deliver future care."

The program, which began officially in June, trains students for both academic careers as researchers and teachers and professional positions managing information resources in the health care field.

"The goal of the program is to train students in computer science, information science, biostatistics, physiology, and medical terminology. This multi-disciplinary training will enable graduates to work beside health care professionals, translating their information needs into well-designed computer programs and systems," says Dr. Allen.

Three degrees are offered in medical informatics at Columbia: M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. The basic requirement for admission into the M.A. program is a bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, physics, an engineering science, or biology.

Applicants for the M.Phil. degree program must complete an advanced degree (M.A., M.S., M.P.H., M.D.) before commencing their program of study. Applicants for the Ph.D. program must complete the M.Phil. degree before starting the Ph.D. program.

The new graduate program extends Columbia's existing postdoctoral training program in medical informatics (funded by the National Library of Medicine since 1992) to predoctoral candidates. It also allows the postdocs to earn a formal degree in medical informatics during their three-year fellowship. Three postdoctoral students are enrolled in the degree program; the first predoctoral entering class will enroll in the spring of 1995.