Resources for Students Attending Online Health Education Schools

With an increasing need for quality healthcare professionals, it is a great time to get into the medical field. It is an ever-changing industry that requires its members to be on top of the latest news and developments.

Many of the following links have been chosen with that in mind - news sites, organization web sites and blogs from doctors and nurses in the field. The others have been selected for their study value and to help find a foothold within the medical industry - job resources, study guides, practice quizzes and reference information.

 

Useful iPhone Apps

With the advent of the iPhone and Android, these phones are proving their worth to medical students and professionals alike. These Web sites review and break down the best medical apps.

1. The Best Medical iPhone Apps for Doctors and Med Students
Did you know there are more than 1,500 medical iPhone apps? This article weeds through them to come up with 55 that they consider the best for med students.

2. Ten Top iPhone Medical Apps
This site gives a look at the top medical iPhone apps. This listing includes apps to check drug interactions, identify pills by physical appearance, eye charts, medical terms dictionary and more.

3. Go Student Nurse - Nursing App
This post includes several useful apps for nurses and nursing students. Their goal is to help nurses and nursing students succeed and survive in their daily lives with technology, reviews and tips.

4. Nursing Central
This site has information about the Nursing Central app which could benefit both nurses and health education students alike. The app includes Taber's Medical Dictionary, Davis' Drug Guide and information on various diagnostic tests and diseases.

5. iMedical Apps
Web site totally dedicated to reviewing and critiquing apps and mobile medical technology; for the iPhone, iPad, and Android for focused.

6. 10 Must Have iPad Apps for Nurses
An interesting post of explanations for iPad apps nurses will find useful; Popular Science, Carter's Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine, Pocket Medicine, Blausen Human Atlas, Medscape Mobile, The Elements, Mediquations Medical Calculator, Pocket Lab Values, Evernote, and eFilm.

 

Anatomy, Physiology Resources, and Specialties

The resources below serve as excellent study guides for Anatomy and Physiology courses. Several offer practice quizzes.

1. A&P Course Information
Study information on many standard A&P courses, study tips, FAQs and tools.

2. Anatomy and Physiology Quizzes
This site offers a number of practice quizzes on Human Anatomy and Physiology compiled by a professor at City College of San Francisco.

3. Anatomy and Physiology Tutorials and Quizzes
This link provides several tutorials and quizzes on Anatomy and Physiology. The Web site also offers lectures, seminars, tutorials and laboratories on several topics.

4. Three Tips You Must Have on Human Anatomy
Along with the three tips, this Web site also provides study aids, photos and more.

5. John A. Hartford Foundation Blog
With a focus on aging and geriatrics run by the John A. Hartford Foundation.

6. RadRounds
Web site founded by group of radiologists to share news and information, collaborate and network.

 

Real World Blogs

While nothing compares to real-life experience, these blogs can help you get a glimpse inside the various fields their authors practice. Pediatric oncology, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, radiology and more... These blogs are a great snapshot of an average day.

1. KevinMD
he blog of Kevin Pho, M.D., who has been labeled "Social Media's Leading Physician Voice." Pho's blog has been hailed by both the Wall Street Journal and Forbes.com and was voted the Best Medical blog of 2008.

2. Pediatric Oncologist Blog
The blog of pediatric oncologist David Loeb MD, PHD. This blog is both informative and features several posts in which Loeb talks about his hardest cases.

3. GruntDoc
The blog of a former USMC infantry doctor turned Emergency Physician in Texas. Features news, musings and personal posts.

4. Sumer's Radiology Site
Highly-trafficked, extremely popular radiology blog run by Sumer Sethi, MD, Director of Teleradiology Providers TM. Sethi is also the Editor-in-Chief of Internet Journal of Radiology and a published author.

5. Life in the Fast Lane
This blog, written by a collection of Australian physicians, includes industry news, real life case studies and even throws in a bit of humor.

6. The Underwear Drawer
The blog of a 32-year-old mother and attending anesthesiologist in Atlanta, Ga. This blog puts an equal emphasis on the personal and professional.

7. Tales of a Nurse
The experiences of an 11-year veteran Intensive Care nurse and others within the healthcare system - paramedics, patients, doctors and nurses.

8. Philly Dan Paramedic Blog
One man's views on emergency medical services and EMS products. The blog also contains a number of helpful EMS resource links.

9. Uncompromised Airways
This blog is written by a NICU nurse and includes technical information and real life practices.

 

Industry News

Whether it is scientific, law, consumer or international, these blogs cover stories that are big in the medical field. Each has their own niche, but all of them provide pertinent information.

1. Evolution & Medicine Review
This is a science-based publication for the science community, teachers, clinicians and those working in medicine and public health.

2. Better Health
A collective of bloggers in the healthcare field with a mission is to provide insightful health commentary and to educate policy makers about the provider's views on healthcare reform, science and patient care. 

3. Health Care Law Blog
A health care lawyer in West Virginia whose blog looks at state and federal health care regulations, keeping an eye on the industry, health care security, privacy, and technology.

4. Disruptive Women in Health Care
A news blog with a focus on strong women within the medical field. Their mission is to provoke creative thoughts, ideas, and solutions within the healthcare field.

5. Consumer Healthcare Blog
A blog that covers consumer healthcare news, health advice and industry options. They're focus is on answering the questions of how to stay healthy and how to do it at a reasonable cost.

6. Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy
A news blog from the Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy. This site's focus is to explore the range between policy and ethical issues affecting vaccines and how they impact public health.

7. Asian Healthcare Blog
Blog with a focus on healthcare stories from Southeast Asia. The two authors strive to provide balanced commentary on all stories.

8. Your Health Updates
A look at the importance of health, food and healing RX in maintaining one's health. Some discussion of regular diseases and disorders and a look at alternative care.

9. Behavioral Healthcare
Blog and industry news for managers and clinicians in the substance abuse and mental health fields.

10. McKnight's
McKnight's Long-Term Care News focuses on topics as they related to the institutional LTC field. Topics include Alzheimer's, retirement communities, post acute care centers and hospital-based long-term care units.

 

Common Infectious Diseases

These sites will serve as great study aids and will also help you stay on top of any important infectious disease news and information.

1. Common Infectious Diseases Worldwide
A listing of the most common infectious diseases sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.

2. SE Asia Infectious Disease Clinical Research Network
Partnership of research institutions and hospitals in Southeast Asia focused on clinical research of infectious diseases in the region.

3. Common Bacterial, Fungal, Parasitic, Prion and Viral Infectious Diseases
A listing of the most common infectious diseases broken down by subsection and including causative agents.

4. PKIDs Online
The Web site of Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases, an organization whose mission is to educate the public and provide support to the families of children living with viral infectious diseases.

5. Champaign Urbana
The Champaign Urbana, Ill., Public Health District's Infectious Disease Resource listing includes several handy guides, fact sheets and links.

6. Common Head and Neck Diseases
Blog focused on head and neck issues, including signs, symptoms, pain management and more.

 

Technical Resources, Job Resources and Study Guides

These Web sites are great places to help you increase your knowledge-base and study for tests. Once you've got the degree, you'll need to find a position. These resources will help you ready your resume, hone your interview skills and search job listings throughout the country.

1. Radiology Resource Center
This site is a one-stop shop for radiology words, abbreviations and acronyms. Also included are frequently asked radiology questions.

2. Virology Journal
Single-source Web site for virology information: virus picture collection, listing of virology web sites, virology jobs, tutorials, virology course notes and videos.

3. Study Stack
User submitted study flash cards and activities. Impressive collection of medical cards that are broken down by category.

4. How to Study for Nursing
Various resources for nursing students. Includes test taking tips, online training manuals, study skills, pronunciations and more.

5. Health Jobs USA
Browse more than 300,000 jobs in the health field, submit your resume and get career tips.

6. Healthcare and Medical Field Guide
This general career site provides resources on various medical professions, job search information, salary guides and job listings.

7. Medical Billing Jobs and Updates
Information on medical billing jobs, including a listing of resources, job outlook and salary information.  

8. Medical Job Listings
Searchable database of available healthcare positions. Can be searched by location, keywords, category and advanced. 

 

Miscellaneous

The odds and ends that don't quite fit in any other category: interesting reads, a bit of healthcare humor and more.

1. Nursing 2.0
A look at how online education and the web is changing the health care profession.

2. Keys to Better Health Web Site Design
Interesting article on designing better health Web sites. Web designer Tania Schlatter is interviewed by Lisa Neal Gualtieri, Adjunct Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.

3. Affordable Care Act
News article on the Affordable Care Act and its implications for the average American. The article also provides a link to an in-depth health care reform timeline.

4. Emergency Protections in the Affordable Care Act
A look at some of the new protections for patients who receive emergency care under the Affordable Care Act.

5. Nursing in a Web 2.0 World
Several resources for nurses on the Web, including wikis, social bookmarking, trend trackers, information on micro-blogging, podcasts and more.

> Getting an education online for a job in the health care industry can be a great way to get into the medical field for busy people. One thing you must remember though is that with any health education or medical related degree there is a lot to learn, so looking for an online school where you can find support and help when needed is essential.

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