University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine selects VitalSource to deliver digital curriculum

Recently, Ingram Digital announced an agreement with the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine to offer a complete medical program curriculum via the VitalSource e-book platform. According to the press release, beginning with the incoming class of 2012, students will receive a university issued laptop that contains 30 pre-loaded e-textbooks for use during their first two years of classes. During the third and fourth years, students will purchase the e-textbooks from the University’s online store. Unlike other e-textbook rentals where the material can only be accessed for one semester, students will also be able to access their materials as long as they retain student status and can transfer their license if they upgrade their computer. The University’s decision to offer a completely digital curriculum provides yet another example that e-textbooks are gaining ground. Medical and dental schools, which have fairly standardized curriculums within a school, have been more likely to move more completely to digital collections than other disciplines or academic areas.