Ask HN: The future of medicine and IT

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=700203

by csomar • 17 years ago

5 5 17 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm going to study medicine in the new few years (8 years!!!), I'm wondering (I'm a geek and software developer) what future is for the IT applied to medicine, is it promising. I worked with computers since 2001, I love programming and I'm self-taught.

I wonder if I can in the future mix my medicine knowledge with programming and IT??

Any ideas or links are appreciated!

TomOfTTB• 17 years ago

Personally I believe the future of IT and Medicine to be in the field of Predictive Analytics (In fairness this is what I've spent the last several years working on so I'm a bit biased).

What computers do very well is to crunch numbers. The problem is the confidentiality laws are so strict that the numbers have never been available. The future I believe is coming and the future that I'm trying to bring about is one where we realize a computer can separate diagnosis and treatment information from identity and in doing so can access hugely valuable data without ever violating a client's privacy. Then it can use that data to show us patterns that we as humans would never see.

This type of technology, which already exists today, could lead to faster diagnosis and most importantly preventitive care that keeps people from getting sick in the first place. That, to me, is the greatest thing IT can provide for humanity in the next decade or so.

Don't get me wrong. There will be great advances in technology that have nothing to do with the above. But those will be in things like nanotechnology and laser development which (a) isn't what I'd call IT and (b) would require you focus all your attention on them.

karatchov2• 17 years ago

A piece of advice from a med student: focus on your studies ! Since you have a good computer experience, there is little chance that you lose your IT/Programming knowledge if you just focus on your medecine. BUT, there are much higher risks that you end up with a poor medecine knowledge if you try to mix it with computing.

So, try to be a good or a very good doctor for the next 8 years, then you can try to mix.

csomar2• 17 years ago

Thanks for the advice! I need to focus on my studies right. what about summer, can I take a (programming) holiday on it? Is it bad or good? Shall i in summer still focused on medicine?

karatchov2• 17 years ago

I don't see any reason why you shouldn't enjoy your summer. My point is that your first priority should be "to get the most complete medical education". This doesn't mean you have to forget about programming/IT.

Ask HN: The future of medicine and IT

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