Proof of Concept

One of the (many) ways I avoid studying is by helping to run our school's Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG). With lecturers, labs, shadowing, and ridealongs, we try to provide our fellow students with a portrait of the specialty. Furthermore, the clinical cases serve to help make connections between the books and the medicine. Learning cardiac physiology goes over a lot easier when a practicing EM doc steps you through an MI that walked into his department.

Anyway, it can be difficult finding people to come in. It's understandable--with busy schedules, families to raise, and academic responsibilities, it's hard to line up an hour where everyone is free. Tack onto that the cost and hassle of driving to and from the school, reserving an open venue, and gaining the necessary permissions, and the hour generously volunteered quickly turns into an entire afternoon.

So we found a better way. Anyone who has Googled "Emergency Medicine" has undoubtedly happened upon Dr. Lin's blog, Academic Life in Emergency Medicine. It's a treasure trove of knowledge and shared expertise. EMRA recently paid homage to Dr. Lin's mastery of academia in their latest issue, and the ACEP Scientific Assembly benefited from her Tricks of the Trade. And we wanted in!

Through the magic of Google Hangout we were able to interact directly with Dr. Lin from across the country. With laptop microphones strategically positioned, a large classroom could sit back and ask questions freely. Other students were able to patch-in from wherever their hearts desired (the Hangout feature allows for up to 10 independent feeds). Fresh from an overnight shift at her San Francisco hospital, Dr. Lin graciously volunteered her time to answer our many questions about the field--and she didn't have to hop on a transcontinental flight to do so.

It's a pretty great concept. EMIGs around the country reinvent the wheel everyday, but with the power that Google has placed in our hands, there's no reason that students the world over can't benefit from the incredible expertise in every corner of the globe. Residency directors don't have to travel from school to school to answer the same questions. Ben Abo can speak about his Emergency Medicine initiatives in Ethiopia from Ethiopia, and answer student questions in real-time. In short, there's an exciting world of possibilities that this technology opens the door to, and I look forward to exploring them.

We can't thank Dr. Lin enough for her guidance, advice, and time. Mark Van Doren wrote that "the art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery," and few people better exemplify that maxim.

Thanks, Dr. Lin!