The paperless essay: one way to teach writing and computer skills in medical school.

We designed an assignment for first-year medical students that included instruction in writing and in computer use, two important subjects that are usually neglected in the traditional curriculum. As part of a neuroscience course, students wrote an essay using a word processor and submitted it to the instructor via the campus computer network. If requested by the instructor, the students submitted a revision of their essays without a grade penalty. As a result of completing the assignment, students learned the importance of revision and were stimulated to learn more about computers. With only slight modification of medical school courses, faculty can place more emphasis on writing skills and computer literacy.