D.M. Dinwiddie, Physician-in-Training
© 2003 Health Media Lab, Inc.
Although based on an engaging premise, at times this health and first aid program's interface gets in the way of its content. Kids begin the adventure by choosing their gender (D.M. can be a boy or a girl-- nice touch). Then they pick an episode from 12 choices. The overall premise is that D.M. must correctly diagnose and treat 12 cases to earn the Medical Arts Achievement Badge required for summer camp. Each of the 12 episodes offers a character who needs help. In one episode, for instance, a boy is injured when a book falls on his head at the library. In order to diagnose and treat his injury, kids must click through a seemingly endless series of text dialogue boxes, asking him questions, trying treatment options, etc. This is what bogs the program down. Even after exploring and clicking over and over again, our testers still got stuck and weren't sure what to do to complete the episode. Sitting through the tutorial helps, and kids will find useful information in the MedLab, a reference tool with conditions and treatments (i.e., bruises and how to treat them). Conditions presented include appendicitis, choking, burn, insect bite and common cold. In addition to the main objective of diagnosis and treatment, kids will encounter word and math puzzles, which don't seem to fit that well with the health and first aid theme. Still, the program is fairly compelling, and will work in both classroom and home settings. Note that an Academic version of the program (with lesson plans and worksheets) is available.
$29.95, Windows 95/98/2000/XP
Teaches: health, first aid