Library instruction for medical students

The library instruction program for medical students at the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences is described. This instruction program, which was developed in cooperation with the medical faculty, is included in the College of Medicine curriculum. Library instruction is presented sequentially at scheduled times during the four-year curriculum when students need specific information. The development, implementation, and evaluation of the program are discussed.     

Library orientation and library instruction for medical students

Library instruction and library orientation goals, techniques, and programs are reviewed. These programs are a responsibility of the information specialist. Existing programs use varied means to accomplish these educational goals.     

Computers and medical information: an elective for fourth-year medical students

The Computers and Medical Information elective is a collaborative effort to expose students to a variety of computer applications for medical information management. The course has a modular format so that students can work with a variety of people who are enthusiastic users of computer-based information systems. The elective emphasizes learning by doing. Faculty introduce concepts and systems and serve as guides in the use of systems. Students have rated the course positively and, after four years as an elective, some of the course's content has been integrated into the required curriculum.     

Evolution of an information literacy curriculum for third-year medical students

Information literacy curriculum for third-year medical students at Northwestern University has evolved over several years under the guidance of librarians at the Galter Health Sciences Library. Starting as a series of rotation-specific information resource overviews, initial evaluation and feedback led to the curriculum being developed to include more focused and interactive clinical information sessions with a quiz-based assessment. Future enhancements will include web-based self-directed learning using online tutorials, additional search exercises that mimic the on-the-go clinical environment, and better assessment of the curriculum's impact on students' information literacy and clinical search skills.     

Library use and information-seeking behavior of veterinary medical students

Veterinary medical students at Iowa State University were assessed for general use of the veterinary library and for their information-seeking behavior. The library was most frequently used for studying and for making photocopies of materials. The typical respondent relied on course textbooks and handouts for current information on unfamiliar topics, instead of using indexes or abstracts for guidance to recent literature. Light use of library information resources raises the concern that students are developing an inadequate base of retrieval skills for finding information on new procedures, diseases and drugs. No differences were found between students with and without formal bibliographic instruction in their approaches to seeking information or in library use.     

Redesigning library orientation for first-year medical students during the pandemic

Background:Prior to 2020, library orientation for first-year medical students at Weill Cornell Medicine took the form of an on-site treasure hunt competition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the orientation for the MD class of 2024 was shifted to an all-virtual format. This shift mandated a full redesign of the library orientation.Case Presentation:The Samuel J. Wood Library sought to preserve the excitement and fun of the treasure hunt in the new virtual format. The competition was redesigned as a Zoom meeting using breakout rooms, with library faculty and staff serving as team facilitators. Tasks were rewritten, shifting the focus from the library''s physical spaces to its virtual services and online resources. The redesigned orientation was evaluated using two data sources: a postsession survey of student participants and a debriefing of the library employees who participated. Student evaluations were positive, while the faculty and staff provided numerous suggestions for improving future virtual orientations.Conclusions:A successful virtual library orientation requires careful preparation, including testing the competition tasks, full rehearsal with library facilitators, and a thoughtful approach to technology and logistics. We have chosen to share the materials we developed for other academic health sciences libraries that may wish to take a similar approach to their own virtual orientations.     

The introduction of a medical informatics course into a medical school curriculum

Fulfilling the need for a course in medical informatics to be taught to medical students requires an effort on the part of the teaching faculty and administration. Creators of the curriculum must take into account contemporary pedagogical trends and the direction of medical education. Producing a course of study requires a firm conviction that practicing medicine in the 21st century demands currency, accuracy, and literacy with the available information sources.     

Internet inspirations: Library instruction with a virtual touch

This piece examines the use of websites prepared for specific library instructional sessions. This discussion has two main parts. First, the web page's construction process receives a detailed analysis in terms of various library resources, differing patron learning styles, the preinstructional interview, and the proper balance between traditional and virtual resources within this activity. Then, the section entitled “Combinations for the Instructional Website” discusses several different page types and their advantages for individual classes. The “Conclusion” reprises the earlier discussions, asks questions about the future of library instruction, and places the pages within that future context.     

Teaching medical informatics a la carte: a curriculum for the professional palate

Health professionals as well as students vary greatly in their appetite for medical informatics and evidence-based medicine. The information professional is challenged by the need for instructional programs that support the use of medical informatics to a diverse audience. For teaching programs to be successfully received, the information professional must be able to offer an adaptable curriculum that can be arranged to meet the differing needs of a wide range of health professionals. The Educational Services Department at New York University Medical Center has designed and implemented a multidisciplinary curriculum that serves as a model for health and information professionals to meet a variety of goals and objectives. This paper describes how the curriculum evolved. It is presented as a menu of offerings that may be coordinated and adapted to meet the varying skills and needs of clinicians, basic scientists, residency training programs, medical student clerkships, and nursing and allied health programs. Informatics programs that may include workshops in basic computer skills, identification of information resources, the structure of information, developing search strategies in support of evidence-based medicine, identifying qualitative journal literature, and critical appraisal of the literature, are easily adapted to any audience and schedule.     

Continuing education for medical students: a library model

Purpose

The research assessed a three-year continuing medical education–style program for medical students in a Midwestern academic medical library.

Methods

A mixed methods approach of a survey and two focus groups comparing attendees versus non-attendees assessed the program.

Results

Eleven students participated in the focus groups. Attendance was driven by topic interest and lunch. Barriers included lack of interest, scheduling, location, and convenience.

Conclusions

Although attendance was a challenge, students valued opportunities to learn new skills. This study showcases a reproducible method to engage students outside the curriculum.     

Search strategies for population and social subjects in a medical school curriculum

This case study describes strategies developed for medical students to conduct Specific (as opposed to Sensitive) searches in PubMed so they can quickly locate several relevant references to articles on the population and social aspects of medicine. The Specific search strategy protocol for population and social aspects of medicine involves use of the MeSH Database, certain features of the Detailed Display in the MeSH Database, and applying Limits. By teaching the Specific form of search strategy, busy users can learn a handful of basic techniques that should yield a useful proportion of references, thereby ensuring these users' frequent success.     

The medical librarian and computer-assisted instruction

The requirements for a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) system in terms of hardware, communications, software, and personnel are discussed, and unique characteristics of CAI are reviewed. Current CAI applications in the medical field include programs in undergraduate medical and dental education, training of nurses and physical therapists, units for interns and residents, and continuing education for physicians. Certain problems exist in the current state of the art, however, including unsatisfactory aspects of each of the system components. The potential role of the medical librarian as a member of a CAI personnel team is explored, and contributions he can make in program development, monitoring, and evaluation are suggested. Medical librarians may themselves have opportunities in the future to use CAI to develop library skills and special subject knowledge. It is proposed that introduction of CAI may have the additional benefit of encouraging increased use of on-line bibliographic retrieval systems.     

Teaching life-long learning skills in a fourth-year medical curriculum

For more than twenty years, the Ruth Lilly Medical Library has been a traditional part of the Indiana University School of Medicine curriculum. Recently, following changes to the curriculum, the Library's role has evolved to include responsibility for developing and teaching a Medical Informatics rotation as part of the senior year clerkships. Heavy emphasis is placed on acquiring life-long learning skills, especially on locating and critically appraising the best clinical evidence in the medical literature. In its first four months, the rotation has been quite favorably received by both students and faculty, but will continue changing to keep pace with future curriculum alterations and new technology.     

Creating connections: Library instruction across campus

The Library Outreach Program Committee at Western Washington University serves as a coordinating body for outreach activities to the non-departmental campus community. Successful projects include collaboration with New Student Services/Family Outreach, Academic User Technology Services, and Residential Life. A database of outreach activities assists in tracking and assessing outreach activities.     

Put your instruction to the test: Half a dozen question types for evaluating students

There are different types of questions that can be used to determine whether students learned what they were taught in an information literacy (IL) session. This article summarizes best practices from the education literature for constructing short-answer, alternative-response, matching, multiple-choice, interpretative, and essay questions, as well as includes question examples from the author’s own experience delivering IL instruction.