SPRING COMPUTER LAB PROVIDES HANDS-ON TEACHING; ATTRACTS SCOT CANDIDATES
SCOT's Computer Lab was open for business once again in the Exhibit Hall at the AAP's Spring Meeting in San Diego, fielding a wide variety of questions from conference attendees, offering informal didactic sessions on current topics, and providing prospective SCOT members an opportunity to learn more about the Section.
Staffed by members of the Section and its Executive Committee, the Lab still receives a number of questions from individuals who are a bit embarrassed that their children know more about computers than they do(!), and would like to gain some hands-on familiarity. For this purpose, four (4) computers are available and, with the guidance of the Computer Lab Faculty, several pediatric-oriented computer applications can be demonstrated. Last Spring, these included Clinical Reference System's PEDIATRIC ADVISOR, Loren Yamamoto's AAP-award-winning Radiology Cases in Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Jim Lustig's CYPERPEDS diagnostic game, plus many on-line resources including AAP's Home Page, Andy Spooner's comprehensive PEDINFO catalog of pediatric resources on the Internet, and the DXplain expert system.
Specific topics also received attention through the didactic session offerings. Doug Stetson's "Selecting Practice Management Software" and Dave Paperny's "Using Computers for Health Screening, Education, & Assessment" focused on the practice setting. Neel Ackerman's "Getting On-Line: Options for Pediatricians" and Andy Spooner's "Steps to Publishing on the World Wide Web" explored the ever-expanding world of on-line resources. Bob Langston's "Introduction to Windows 95" and Stuart Weinberg's "Purchasing Your Personal Computer - Where to Start" provided some basics that proved to be well-received.
At the close of the Computer Lab, information had been scanned on 65 individuals who wanted more information about the Section and its activities. Our membership chair Neel Ackerman will be following up with those people.
Plans are well underway for this Fall's Computer Lab in New Orleans. For those with access to the WWW, the fall schedule is posted at: http://www.he.net/~dvk/scot/schd-97f.htm
If you have any suggestions or comments on ways you think the Computer Lab can be even more responsive to AAP membership needs, please send them to Stuart Weinberg at [stw@pobox.com].