I-EXPLORE Self-Directed Learning

This guide introduces medical students and faculty to recommended specialized information sources for self-directed learning that are available through the Blaisdell Medical Library on the UC Davis Health Campus. Before proceeding, please check out how to access library-licensed content from on- and off-campus.

Recommended information sources for Team INQUIRE Problem-Based Learning (PBL) sessions include:

• medical textbooks
• peer-reviewed journal articles
• clinical point-of-care tools
• practice guidelines
• information posted on websites of trustworthy organizations

Medical Textbooks

While many of textbooks on this list are e-books, some of them are only available as print books for loan at Blaisdell Medical Library:

• Print-only textbooks are indicated by "Call Number: Blaisdell Medical Library"
• Each textbook title is linked to the UC Davis Library Catalog record, from which you can navigate to the online textbook or explore the availability of print holdings

To identify additional relevant textbooks, go to the E-Book Collections tab or Course Reading Lists in Elentra. Other good discovery tools include the UC Davis Library Catalog and specialty pages in the Health Sciences E-Books Guide. 

Online medical textbook collection:

Selected medical textbooks:

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Journal database:

PubMed Tips:

• For background questions, start by finding a recent review article on your topic -- Narrow results by using "reviews" article type filter. Then navigate as needed into other article or study types.
• For foreground questions, use the PubMed Clinical Queries filters or filter using article type filters (such as "randomized clinical trial", "comparison study", "systematic review", or "meta-analysis").

Journal example:

Clinical Point-of-Care Tools

For more available clinical point-of-care tools, consult the Evidence-Based Practice Resources Guide, the Clinical Apps Guide, or the UCDH Clinical Resources Center (CRC).

Examples:

Practice Guidelines

For a detailed description of how to find practice guidelines, consult the Evidence-Based Practice Resources Guide

Examples:

Websites of Trustworthy Organizations

Trustworthy organizations may include medical professional societies, federal or state governments, and patient or healthcare advocacy groups. This information can often be identified by using a targeted Google Search. However, it is up to you to determine the trustworthiness (credibility) of the organization and the quality of the information posted.

Examples:

MedlinePlus Tip: Search on your topic and then navigate to recommended links to trustworthy organizations