Master of Science in Information Systems Engineering Specializing in Medical Informatics
Computational medicine, or medical information systems is a relatively new field of knowledge and research, which is gaining a lot of momentum in recent years, and is changing the face of medicine in the twenty-first century. This is an interdisciplinary combination of research, development and innovative application of various information technologies from the Hi-Tech fields (information systems, computer science, statistics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and analysis of Big data, decision-making analysis and more) for the purpose of research, Development and implementation of computational systems in the field of medicine and related fields, such as pharmacy and nursing.
On the one hand, increasing amounts of medical information are accumulated and made accessible through electronic medical records and huge databases of medical data that include diverse information such as laboratory test results, discharge letters and referrals, visual information from various imaging means (such as computerized magnetic resonance imaging scanner tests) , electronic signals (such as recordings of heart, brain, and muscle activity), etc. On the other hand, increasing amounts of medical knowledge have become electronically accessible and can be represented by a computer and even a representation that can be understood by a computer that includes research articles, review articles, guidelines ((Evidence-based clinical guidelines of professional medical associations. On the third hand, analyzing such amounts of information for the purpose of making individual clinical decisions, using the complete existing medical knowledge; or processing such amounts of information for the purpose of producing new medical knowledge, is beyond human ability, and requires advanced calculation tools.
In order to develop and maintain these advanced calculation tools and information systems in the medical service, and to meet many and varied needs (and sometimes, unforeseen in advance), there is a need for interdisciplinary training that includes:
- Deep understanding of the basic information methodologies involved (such as information systems, computer science, statistics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data engineering, and decision-making analysis);
- Knowledge of the various fields of health sciences in which these systems will be implemented, their needs, and the special language for each of them, such as an introduction to the basic medical sciences and an introduction to clinical medicine;
- Unique multidisciplinary specialization in the application of computational methodologies to the various fields of medicine.
The track for a master's degree in computational medicine is research-based and requires the submission of a thesis. The track is shared by the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Usually the student will have a supervisor from the department of software and information systems engineering, and another supervisor from the faculty of medical sciences.
Who is the program suitable for?
The studies of the major are intended mainly for bachelor's degree graduates in information systems engineering, software engineering, computer science or similar programs, or for bachelor's degree graduates at least in medicine, medical sciences or health professions who wish to specialize in computational medicine.
The curriculum
The major includes 24 credits of four compulsory courses, and four elective courses (mainly engineering and medical sciences), and 12 credits of a thesis. A total of 36 points.
Completion courses: applicants with a medical background who are missing basic courses in computer science will make up the gaps in the first year. Applicants with a computational background will have to complete two introductory medicine courses in the first year: Introduction to Medical Sciences without physicians, Introduction to Clinical Medicine without physicians.
Registration conditions:
Graduates of a bachelor's degree in information systems engineering, software engineering, computer science, medicine, medical sciences, or health sciences from Ben-Gurion University, or graduates of similar programs in terms of content and academic level at recognized academic institutions in Israel or abroad, whose average grades in the bachelor's degree is at least 80 And they are in the top 20% of the ranking.
Bachelor's graduates in other disciplines of engineering and natural sciences who are in the top percentiles (rank 3% or higher) of their departments will be discussed by the teaching committee for certified studies as special cases.
The admissions committee will also rank the candidates according to additional criteria, such as: the candidate's rank in relation to other graduates who studied for the same degree, the candidate's professional experience, compliance with the admission conditions for the bachelor's degree, and more.
The admissions committee may require the completion of up to four undergraduate courses according to their previous studies. Candidates whose education requires the completion of more than four courses will not be admitted to the supplementary studies for a master's degree.
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