MediMinutes | Devpost

MediMinutes Team
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Inspiration

The prospect of creating an educational platform for medical professionals that is not only accessible, but also high quality was of great inspiration to our team.

We decided to tackle Track 4: Option 6 - A Micro-Credentialing System for Medicine for MediHacks2024 to create incentives for continuous learning and practice for front-line professionals.

As computer science students we understand the importance of keeping on top of a constantly changing and evolving field. Accessible learning is also an issue our team holds in high regard as some of us are from first-generation immigrant families and faced significant barriers ourselves being the first members of our families to attend post-secondary.

Our team also sees the importance of high quality health care and aim to educate not only individuals in the field but also those who want to grow into health care professionals. Through continuous learning we aim to challenge and grow everyone who uses our app.

What it does

Our group made a medical education application that allows users to take lessons on over 200 topics ranging from infectious diseases to environmental health.

How we built it

We worked with Next.js, Javascript and Tailwind-CSS to program the MediMinutes web application, as well as Python for backend scripting and Figma for UI/UX design.

We started by creating python scripts to scrape sites for medical data which we then stored in our Firebase database to allow ease of access from our frontend.

We then passed our data to OpenAI's generative text API to generate a bank of questions specific to each topic. This enabled us to make a quiz feature which tests the users knowledge by pulling 5 random questions from the bank pertaining to each individual topic.

Once we had created the framework for a working web application, we did a visual update based on a complete wireframe we had developed in Figma.

Challenges we ran into

One of the most significant challenges we encountered was the limited time available to us. With a tight deadline, we had to define a clear vision for the project in order to prioritize tasks and streamline our platform; cutting extra features in order to strengthen core aspects of the application.

Incorporating all our ideas proved to be another challenge, as we grappled with balancing creativity and feasibility within our project timeline.

Technical challenges also presented themselves throughout the development process. We struggled to find a reliable API to achieve the vision our team had initially. We overcame this challenge by web scraping and processing over 20,000 lines of data from the World Health Organization, ensuring accurate and comprehensive data collection.

We also handled smaller issues with coding, design layouts, and user experience optimization, requiring us to adapt and solve problems on the fly.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Despite these challenges, we remained committed to our vision of accessible education. Through perseverance, collaboration, and creative problem-solving, we were able to overcome obstacles and bring our project to fruition.

Some of our proudest moments during this project were:

Creating an automated web-scraping script to collect data for lessons
Integration of AI tools to generate question banks
Our original hand-designed art sprites, logo, and mascot Frankie the frog

What we learned

Throughout the process of building this project, we delved deep into the annals of medical knowledge, uncovering key insights into public health, and made lasting impacts on the STEM landscape. At every turn, we were continuously inspired by the breadth and depth of medicine.

What's next for MediMinutes

We have several new features planned for MediMinutes :

Mobile Application Support
Lesson series specifically focusing on pharmaceutical drugs
Larger courses taught with the assistance of medical professionals in the field

In the very future of MediMinutes we would like to branch out beyond medical related topics to other STEM fields.

We believe it is important to foster connections and collaboration within the STEM ecosystem. To that end, we will explore partnerships with educational institutions, organizations, and industry leaders to amplify the impact of our platform and create opportunities for mentorship, networking, and professional development.

We will continually update the website with the thousands of new contributions that are being made by health professionals in STEM fields every day. By providing a dynamic and evolving platform, we hope to inspire future generations and foster a deeper appreciation for medicine and innovation.

Check out our Github Repo

https://github.com/MediHacks24/MediMinutes

Built With

Submitted to

MediHacks 2024: Presented by the Laerdal Million Lives Fund

Created by

I worked as a full-stack developer, focusing mainly on integrating various components to ensure our project's functionality and user experience. On the frontend, I collaborated closely with designers to implement their designs into user interfaces that focused on usability and accessibility. On the backend, I implemented server-side logic, using technologies like firebase, javascript, python, and integrating APIs for smooth content delivery. I gained valuable experience into building web applications.

Tyler Beach
Computer Science at University of Alberta
I worked as a frontend developer. My main contribution involved designing and coding the frontend of the website, adding a touch of creativity through illustrations. This experience not only strengthened my frontend development abilities but also enhanced my understanding of how design and functionality come together to create impactful applications.

Rimsha Memon
I worked as a backend developer. My primary roles were Firebase/profile functionality. I also contributed by implementing AI question generation.

Aiden Mitchell
Lucy Bastell