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Undergraduate Medical Education Portal

Welcome!

Welcome to our Med School Open House Resource Collection! We've gathered all the helpful materials and information from each station of the open house right here in one convenient spot.

The tabs below match the stations you were able to explore. Click on any tab to find the handouts, slides, research guides, and contact information our faculty and staff shared. Feel free to browse during the event or revisit later when you have more time to dig deeper.

This page is part of our larger Medical School LibGuide that you'll come to know throughout your medical education journey. As your librarian, I'm always here to help you navigate these resources. Feel free to reach out if you need any assistance finding what you need!

Open House Stations

Common Questions at the Main Desk

Our front desk staff at the library are always friendly and accommodating, ready to help answer questions and connect you to the resources, books, or people you may need. Here are some common questions students often ask:

  • Does the library have books and if so, can we “rent” them out?
  • Can we reserve a Group Study Room?
  • Does the library have computers that can be borrowed?
  • Do you have a pencil or a pen that I can borrow?
  • Where is the bathroom?

Many students ask these simple questions, so don't hesitate to ask! Our staff are always delighted to assist with any queries and ensure you have a pleasant and productive time at the library.


Borrowing HSLS Materials

Overview

The Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) has over 128,000 print resources and over 250 DVDs and other audiovisual material. Most resources are available for loan to:

  • University of Pittsburgh students, staff, and faculty
  • Residents and fellows
  • Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) students, staff, and faculty

Falk Library's Main Desk is the central hub for checking out HSLS materials.

Borrowing Materials

To borrow materials:

  • Pitt patrons must present their valid University ID.
  • UPMC residents and fellows must present their valid library card (available at the Falk Library Main Desk).
  • CMU affiliates must present valid CMU ID.

Loan Periods

  • Books- 3 weeks (may be renewed)
  • DVDs- 1 week (1 renewal)
  • Reserve Materials- 2 hours (or as specified by the instructor)
  • Technology Equipment- 4 hours or 24 hours, depending on the availability and application of the equipment

Certain materials may have different loan periods. Please check at the Main Desk.

Items can be found by searching PittCat or with assistance from staff at the Main Desk.


Course Reserves

HSLS Course Reserves provides opportunities for instructors to assign a variety of reading materials for students. The course-related items are available to students online or at the Falk Main Desk.

Items are added to course reserves by the instructor's request.

Using Course Reserves
  • HSLS offers both electronic course reserves (e-course reserves) and print course reserves.
  • Items on e-course reserve are available online and may require additional authentication using a valid University of Pittsburgh computing account.
  • Items on print course reserve are available at the Falk Library Main Desk and must be checked out using a valid University of Pittsburgh ID.

Print course reserve items may be checked out, depending on the specifications of the instructor:

  • For two hours, in the library only
  • For two hours, outside the library
  • Overnight, when checked out after 5 p.m. and returned by 8:30 a.m. the following day

Print course reserve items may not be renewed directly following the original checkout period.


Document Delivery

HSLS Document Delivery Service provides scholarly, health sciences materials, including journal articles and book chapters, that are unavailable in our collection.

We serve the faculty, students, and staff of the University of Pittsburgh schools of the health sciences: Dental Medicine, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

To use the HSLS Document Delivery and Interlibrary Loan services, one must have a Primary @pitt.edu Account and be eligible for a Pitt ID.

  • Borrow a Book that is in PITTCat but not in HSLS (Pitt only):
  • Check PITTCat to determine if your book is located at a Pitt Library other than Falk Library.
  • Use HSLS Document Delivery service
  • Email notification and delivered to Falk Library

How Liaison Librarians Help Medical Students

Medical students have a dedicated liaison librarian for their school who acts as a link to the support they need for their research and curriculum needs. In addition, there are topic-specific library liaisons who are experts in scholarly communication, data management, interprofessional education, and bioinformatics.

Support Services for Students

Liaison librarians are familiar with the resources and services at HSLS and can assist you in the following ways:

  • Research and Information Literacy Skills: Liaisons can teach research and information literacy skills, helping you to recognize when information is needed and providing the skills to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.
  • Navigating Resources: Liaisons can help you navigate HSLS resources and services relevant to your needs, such as recommending educational resources.
  • Course Participation: Liaisons are invited to courses, flex weeks, and colloquia to discuss topics relevant to the curriculum, providing skills and guidance on search skills, library resources, and more.
  • Consultations: Students can schedule one-on-one consultations with liaison librarians for in-depth or specialized topics.

Examples of Student Consultations

Students often consult with liaison librarians for various reasons, such as:

  • Research Projects: Students may seek help on their research projects, including finding relevant resources and data. This can involve term building and advanced search techniques.
  • PubMed Searches: While most students know how to access PubMed and perform basic searches, liaison librarians teach them more in-depth methods using advanced search features, making the search more efficient.
  • Alternative Databases: If students are not finding the information they need in PubMed, liaison librarians can introduce them to other databases such as PsycINFO, Web of Science, and others.
  • Troubleshooting Library Resources: Liaison librarians can assist with accessing articles, resolving errors in EndNote, and troubleshooting other library resource issues.

How to Reach Out to Liaison Librarians

There are several ways you can connect with your liaison librarian for support:

  • Ask the Library Website: Visit the HSLS 'Ask a Librarian' page to find information and request assistance.
  • Email: To ask questions or schedule a consultation, contact your liaison librarian, Alyssa Young, at aly77@pitt.edu.
  • Consultations: Schedule a one-on-one consultation with your liaison librarian, Alyssa, to discuss your questions!

Don't hesitate to reach out to Alyssa. She is here to connect you with the valuable resources and support available at HSLS.

Helpful Resources

Technology in the Library

View a full, detailed list of HSLS technology with this link. 

Self-Service Technology is available for walk-up use in the library:

  • Computer Stations
  • Printing and Scanning
  • Accessible Technology

Most equipment requires a Pitt computing account to login.

Technology Available for Borrowing is available at the Falk Library Main Desk:

  • Power and Adapters
  • Mobile Computing
  • Audio Equipment
  • Video Equipment
  • Accessibility and Wellness

Group Study Rooms include the following:

  • Touchscreen displays
  • Built-in PCs
  • Wireless or HDMI connection to displays

Clinical Resources

Point of Care Resources

Calculators

Learn@HSLS

HSLS offers one-off classes and tutorials on a wide variety of topics such as evidence-based searching, research data management, molecular biology software, and more. Browse all of our Zoom sessions and self-paced learning modules at Learn@HSLS.

History of Medicine at HSLS supports historical medical research at the University of Pittsburgh through its Rare Books and Special Collections, circulating titles, exhibits, and other educational opportunities.

HSLS’s Rare Books and Special Collections includes more than 10,000 rare medical books and manuscripts, as well as print and unique materials related to local medical research. These non-circulating historical collections are available for use within the library.

Explore materials from the History of Medicine’s Rare Book Room via our new website HSLS Digital Exhibits & Collections. We have digitized items from our rare books and special collections so that you can access some of our holdings without needing to physically visit the library. Over ten exhibits or collections are currently available to explore, and new exhibits will be added regularly.

Citation Managers

  • Help create in-text citations & bibliographies
  • Keep reference info & PDFs together
  • Annotate your PDFs
  • Export directly from databases

Options at Pitt:

Research Databases

You have access to lots of databases beyond PubMed! Depending on your research, you may want to try:

  • Web of Science: physical, biomedical, & social sciences
  • Embase: conference abstracts, medical devices, drug literature 
  • PsycInfo: psychiatry & psychology 
  • NatMedPro: supplements & complementary therapies 
  • Micromedex: drug info: interactions, IV compatibility

See all: https://www.hsls.pitt.edu/databases
 

Molecular Biology Information Services

Providing bioinformatics resources through software acquisition, integration, and training to support biomedical researchers in addressing their scientific inquiries.

Mission:

  • Identify, procure, and implement commercially licensed bioinformatics software, making it available at no cost to the Pitt research community.
  • Conduct workshops that utilize software to address research questions.
  • Offer individual consultations focusing on bioinformatics software and R/Python programming.

What We Do:

  • Sequence Manipulation: Lasergene (dnastar), Sequencher (Gene Codes Co), SnapGene (Dotmatics)
  • Next-Generation Sequencing: CLC Genomics Workbench (Qiagen), PartekFlow (Illumina)
  • Knowledge Bases: Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (Qiagen), Correlation Engine (Illumina), Human Gene Mutation Database (Qiagen), Transfac (GeneXplain)

Licensed Software and Databases:

  • Sequence Manipulation: Lasergene (dnastar), Sequencher (Gene Codes Co), SnapGene (Dotmatics)
  • Next-Generation Sequencing: CLC Genomics Workbench (Qiagen), PartekFlow (Illumina)
  • Knowledge Bases: Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (Qiagen), Correlation Engine (Illumina), Human Gene Mutation Database (Qiagen), Transfac (GeneXplain)

Contact Us:

We offer a full range of services to faculty and staff who are looking to create high-quality, interactive course content. These services are designed to elevate the quality of educational materials and enhance the learning experience for students. Our services include:

Media production: Our team can assist you with creating multimedia resources tailored to the health sciences. We will help identify media solutions that best suit your educational objectives and help deliver content that resonates with students.
Video production: Capture and convey your lessons through professional-grade video production. From filming lectures to creating instructional videos, our videographers and editors are committed to delivering high-quality visuals that enrich the learning experience.

Equipment

  • Multiple 4K cameras and teleprompters in each studio space
  • Advanced studio lighting and green screen
  • Tricaster production switchersfor controlling sources,graphics and playback of media packages in livestreams and recordings
  • Broadcast-quality microphones and Rodecaster Pro audio mixers

Post-Production Services

  • Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, including Premiere Pro and After Effects
  • Advanced editing, motion graphics, color grading, and captioning services
  • High-powered guest editing workstation with full Adobe CC access

Studios

Studio B: Our professional studio is suitable for any style of content, including lecture captures, panel discussions, demonstrations, and more. Up to six 4K cameras, Wacom touch display, multiple teleprompters and flatscreen displays, and multiple styles of microphones are available. This space includes a lighting grid and 40-foot wraparound curtains in black, beige, and chroma-key green. Reservations in Studio B always include staff to operate the equipment.

Studio A: Our medium semi-autonomous studio can be used independently by clients or with professional staff assistance. Two 4K cameras, Wacom touch display, flatscreen displays, a lightboard, a complete four-mic podcasting system, and mounted studio lights allow for creating professional content or livestreams.

Studio C: With a similar layout and equipment package to Studio A, Studio C is designed as a livestreaming/hybrid studio with the addition of a quad-panel flatscreen display. Podcasting and video capture are possible with staff assistance or semi-autonomously.

For inquiries or scheduling, please email help@hs.pitt.edu to submit a ticket.

Hours:

Our staff is in the studio weekdays from 7:30 a.m.to 4p.m. Depending on our production schedule, we may adjust these hours to include nights or weekends.

How to find us:

The Media Production Studio is on the mezzanine level of Alan Magee Scaife Hall's West Wing, Suite M571. Visitors can enter through the main entrance of the Falk Library and proceed past the open study area and Tannery Room. We're the last door on the right, across from the
Emerging Technology Lab.

HSIT Emerging Technology Labs

Hardware

  • (16) Microsoft Hololens 2 AR Headsets
  • (25) Meta Quest Series VR Headsets
  • (3) High-power PCs
  • (2) Anatomage Tables
  • (3) Vive Pro 2 high-power VR Headsets
  • (160) iPads

Software Overview

HoloHuman+ (ARflablet): Provides a 30 customizable gross human anatomy model broken up into 12 organ systems. Allows for multi-user sessions to be saved, with organ highlighting and labels to create immersive "slide decks" for use in classes and review sessions.

HoloPatient (ARflablet): Provides prerecorded 30 video and vital signs of a standardized patient (SP) presenting with one of 17 different pathologies, as well as patient scenarios for students.

HoloScenarios (ARflablet): Provides a full, customizable, immersive clinical simulation across 10 different scenarios. Allows students to collaboratively triage, diagnose, and treat presenting patients. Facilitators can override the scenario to pace learning or run practical assessments.

Insight Heart (ARflablet): A 30 immersive educational experience about different pathologies of the heart, including myocardial infarctions, hypertension, aFib, etc., and how to treat those disease states. Includes a narrated, guided experience and ultra-high definition models and textures.

Anatomage Table 11: Digital cadaveric dissection table featuring 5 human models scanned from real donors, functional anatomy, histology, case studies, practice assessments, loading custom DICOM files, and more.

First Steps (YR): Provides a user-friendly introduction on how to operate VR headsets and controllers, including motion controls, gestures, and button mapping.

Maloka (YR): Provides users with a meditation experience to practice mindfulness and relieve stress.

Nanome (YR): Biochemical app aimed at viewing and building molecules and medications using all 118 elements, showing mutation of amino acids and allows multi-user collaboration.

 

Visit Us Hours: Mon-Thu 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., Fri 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Sat 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Sun 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Ell Staff available: Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for enhanced support when no classes or events are scheduled. Walk-ins welcome!

How to find us: The Ell is located on the mezzanine level of Alan Magee Scaife Hall's West Wing, room M581. Visitors can enter through the main entrance of the Falk Library and proceed past the open study area and Tannery Room. We're the last door on the left, across from the Studio.

For inquiries or scheduling, please email ETLSupport@pitt.edu to submit a ticket.

     

AI for Humanity Game


As a card-based conversation game, AI for Humanity encourages discussions about generative AI technologies and your perspective on integrating them into medical education.