This guide is intended to orient new residents and fellows at the University of Minnesota to the resources and services provided by the Health Sciences Libraries and the University Libraries system.
Welcome to the Health Sciences Libraries
Setting up off-campus access:
Trainees can access the HSL resources (articles, databases, ebooks, e-journals, etc.) by logging into the HSL website with their X500. The steps outlined below provide additional tricks to streamline access.
- Add proxy bookmarklet to Chrome/Firefox/etc.
- Click the bookmarklet button to reload the page, prompting you to connect to the UMN Libraries system
- Download the UMN VPN software.
- Connect to the UMN network from off campus.
- Add library links to Google Scholar.
- Settings > Library Links > search “minnesota”. Adds “Find It” links connecting to the UMN Libraries system.
- Add library links to PubMed.
- Register for a free myNCBI account. My NCBI > NCBI site preferences > PubMed preferences > Outside tool. Browse for “University of Minnesota Twin Cities.” Adds “Find It” links connecting to the UMN Libraries system.
- Install Unpaywall extension to your internet browser.
Getting started with EBP:
- Tutorial: Evidence Based Practice: An interprofessional tutorialAn interactive, self-paced orientation to foundational evidence-based practice methodology and skills. This tool features case studies from across the health professions, with an emphasis on finding and critically appraising best evidence.
- HSL EBM Search Strategy Checklist & TipsThis page contains general strategies for starting your literature searches, as well as advanced tips for searching Ovid Medline.
Getting started with scholarly writing:
- Library Research ChecklistCould you use a refresher on starting the library research process? Go to this page for a step-by-step description of the process.
- Conducting a Systematic ReviewAre you interested in conducting a systematic review? Check out this page for a description of the process.
- Publishing your Research 101This series of tutorials was produced by the American Chemical Society. Topics include the submission process, the basics of copyright, and tips to avoid common mistakes.
- Citation Managers (e.g. Zotero, EndNote Online, etc.)Citation managers are software packages used to create personalized databases of citation information and notes. They allow you to: import and organize citation information from article indexes and other sources; save links to pdfs and other documents; format citations for your papers and bibliographies using APA and many other styles; and include your own notes.
- Journal Impact MeasuresYou may hear the term "impact factors" used in academic medicine. Impact factors are ways to measure a journal's influence on a field. Go to this page to learn about the difference types of impact factors commonly used in scholarly publishing.
Popular library databases:
Point-of-care tools
- DynaMedAn evidence-based clinical decision support tool. Contains over 3,000 topic summaries covering diseases, disorders, diagnostics, and drugs with extensive references to journals and practice guidelines.
- VisualDxTool to build and visualize a differential diagnosis based on physical signs and symptoms, lab results, history, environmental exposure, and more. Contains a large medical image library, with special emphasis on dermatology for skin of color.
Primary article databases
- Embase / Embase ClassicEmbase is a biomedical and pharmacological database covering journal articles, conference proceedings, and gray literature. It is strong in its coverage of pharmaceutical research and international and non-English content. Covers 1947 to present.
- Ovid MEDLINESearches MEDLINE, which is the primary source of journal articles for the health sciences (fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health, health care systems, and basic sciences). Ovid MEDLINE is optimized for advanced literature searches. Coverage is from the 1940s to the present.
- PubMedSearches MEDLINE, which is the primary source of journal articles for the health sciences (fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health, health care systems, and basic sciences). Coverage is from the 1940s to the present. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
- ScopusSearch for information from scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Covers the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
When researching quality improvement, you might also try:
- Business Source PremierFind business articles from journals and magazines in marketing, management, information technology, operations, human resources, accounting, finance and economics dating back to 1965.
- Engineering VillageSearch journal articles from 1884-1968 on engineering. Searches both Inspec (1898-1968) and Compendex (1884-1968) Archives for articles and conference papers related to engineering, computer science, and physics.
Test prep
- BoardVitalsA personal account is needed to create exams. If you already have an account with BoardVitals outside the University of Minnesota (i.e. through ATI), please create a new account with a different email address to access content from UMN.
You will need to access the registration page using the University's full-tunnel VPN if you are off campus. For more information on VPN please visit Virtual Private Network (VPN).
The University of Minnesota's subscription to Board Vitals includes: USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2, USMLE Step 3 and eight Shelf Exams covering Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Ob/Gyn, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Surgery, the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination Review (NAPLEX), the Nursing Board Exam Prep and CE (Nurse Practitioner Package: Family, Pediatric, Psychiatric, and Adult Gerontology NP, Certified Nurse Midwife) & Anesthesia ADVANCED and BASIC.
Also check out:
Other services:
- Copyright ServicesThe University Libraries' Copyright program is focused on addressing the campus's informational and educational needs around copyright. We offer an expanding menu of education and training opportunities, including this website, personal and small-group consultations, tailored and course-integrated instruction, and workshops on fundamental copyright and scholarly communications issues.
- Publishing ServicesLibrarians at the University of Minnesota Libraries can help you with all aspects of scholarly publishing. Go here for more information and to schedule a one-on-one consultation with a publishing expert.
- Researcher support servicesGo here for a description of the types of researcher support offered by the Health Sciences Libraries and the University Libraries in general.
- InterLibrary Loan & Digital DeliveryInterlibrary Loan (ILL) & Digital Delivery offers access to materials needed for courses and research, including materials not currently available within the University of Minnesota Libraries, AND digital copies of articles and book chapters from our print and microform collections. Free for currently-affiliated University students, faculty, and staff.
- Learn more about Data ManagementGot data? We’re here to help you manage, share, and preserve your research data. In addition to our Data Repository for the U of M curation services, the Libraries will help you navigate available campus resources throughout the data lifecycle.
Last Updated: Nov 1, 2024 4:47 PM
URL: https://libguides.umn.edu/gme-orientation