Abstract

Since August 2010, over 350 iPads have been given to students and faculty as part of the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine (UC Irvine) iMedEd Initiative. The goal of iMedEd is to train future physicians for the coming tide of technological innovation by reinventing the traditional medical school curriculum as an innovative digital learning environment. This initiative was funded by a private grant given specifically for the purpose of empowering medical students with iPads. The integration of iPads served as a centerpiece for other modes of digital reform, such as simulation center training and bedside ultrasound. In an age of Cloud computing and a plethora of healthcare-focused apps, this integration could not have come at a better time. When UC Irvine adopted the iPad platform, there was no precedent for implementing such an innovative initiative and, as a result, many lessons were learned.