Student Track

What is the Student Track?

HL7 FHIR DevDays is all about healthcare interoperability, a place where hundreds of like-minded people come together to talk about FHIR and how it can improve healthcare. The Student Track provides a unique opportunity for students to not only join and interact with the FHIR community, but to also go hands-on with the standard and learn from fellow students and FHIR experts. 

Students from universities around the world are invited to join us in Amsterdam in June 2023. There is a competitive element to the track, read on to find out more.

How can I participate?

• Form a team with at least two and up to four classmates. Prepare a FHIR-based application prior to the event (see details below) and finish and present the project at DevDays. 
• (Optional) Find a teacher who wants to act as a mentor for your team. Your teacher is invited to join you at DevDays.
• Register your team by filling in the form at the bottom of the page. Pre-registration runs until March 20th 2023. Note: we have a limited number of spots available for students. Registrations are processed on a first come, first served basis.
• Update March 21: Registration for the Student Track is closed as we are fully booked. Students may register as regular attendee/student via the registration form.

What is expected from participating teams?

Before DevDays

Think about a use case for FHIR. Can you think of a problem or a situation where FHIR could be useful? How would you use FHIR? Build a FHIR (client) application to showcase your solution and use case. For example, think about what FHIR could bring to: burden reduction for healthcare professionals or patients, clinical decision support, clinical research, or telemedicine. There is no right or wrong here, use your imagination!

• Create the data model for your application. Which FHIR resources are you going to use and what do they look like?
  • You could use your own (mock) data if you have any, or look at existing datasets that are available for public use. PhysioNet, a repository of medical research data, offers a wide selection of open datasets. Alternatively, you could use a tool such as Synthea to generate synthetic health data. Note: PhysioNet and Synthea offer ready-to-use FHIR data, but we encourage you to go through the process of modeling some data to FHIR yourself.
  • There are tools to help you create FHIR profiles, such as FHIR Shorthand (FSH) or Forge. Simplifier.net contains many profiles made by others. 
• In terms of app development, there are many available options. You could start by taking a look at the fhirstarters example projects on GitHub. Other useful resources to look at are SMART on FHIR and FHIR-FLI. Keep in mind that your application does not need to be perfect.
• Here you can find a list of public FHIR test servers that you could let your FHIR client app talk to.
  
  During DevDays
  
  This is when you will meet fellow students, FHIR experts, and other members of the FHIR community; have the chance to attend interesting sessions; and (hopefully) have a great time. You attend the Student Track hackathon. 
• You can finish your application. There will be FHIR experts available to answer any questions you might have and to help you with the finishing touch.
• Give feedback on and test the applications of other teams. How does your FHIR data model compare to those of others? Would you be able to exchange data? Your application/use case probably differs from those of other teams, is it possible to make your app interoperable with those of other teams?
  
  At the end of the day, each team presents their results in the form of a 10 minute presentation followed by a short discussion. Report on:
• Your use case / application / architecture.
• Your FHIR data model, which resources did you use and how.
• Your overall experience with using FHIR, your main findings. Anything you found challenging? Anything you would suggest to make FHIR better? Anything you found easy to do?
  
  The winning team will be selected by a jury panel based on:
• Originality
• Applicability of your solution to practice
• The use of FHIR
• Teamwork
• Presentation

The winning team will receive a prize and a spot on the central stage, where you can present your winning app. 

What else do I need to know?

• The Student Track takes place on Thursday June 8, 2023. DevDays runs from June 6 – 9, 2023.
• Despite DevDays being a hybrid event, participation in the Student Track is only possible in-person in Amsterdam.
• Participation in the Student Track, including the full day on Thursday, is free of charge (team + (optional) mentor). This includes the social event on Thursday evening in Amsterdam. 
• Participants need to cover their own travel and accommodation (check with your university for funding opportunities!).
• Full access to DevDays, Tuesday through Friday, is also possible at a reduced fee of € 950 (excluding VAT). This is a discounted price only for students. The fee for the mentor is € 1.650 (excluding VAT)

Questions? Please reach out to us by sending an email to devdays@fire.ly.