World Class Critical Care Lecture Series are now available on iPods. Beginning in July, 2006, the Department of Critical Care Medicine began providing each fellow with a video iPod capable of carrying hundreds of recorded lectures. Because iPods are seamlessly integrated with Apple iTunes software, iPods easily subscribe to Critical Care Medicine Podcasts. These Internet-based broadcasts offer high quality lecture videos that are automatically updated and uploaded to the iPods. It is now standard procedure for fellows to review essential components of their curriculum wjile they are on the go.

James Rieker, PhD, manager of the Department’s online curriculum, is monitoring the usage of iPods in the first year of the program. “We’ve had Critical Care lectures available for download from our secure server for five years now. However, the combination of iTunes and iPods has opened tremendous educational opportunities for our fellows. With a complete array of lectures available on iPods, fellows now have the freedom to review content in a fashion that fits into their schedule. Their jobs are quite demanding. We are now giving them better learning tools.

Paul Rogers MD, program director, has supported the idea from the beginning. Dr. Rogers has grown the fellowship curriculum to more than 150 noon educational events per year. These include the Core Lecture Series, Journal Club, Research Conference, Grand Rounds and workshops. Most of these are available for the iPod It may seem odd, but the web-based delivery of lectures is now considered the ‘traditional’ method of delivery. Podcasts are the new technology initiative.

Listening to the lectures is just part of the educational experience. Fellows must also pass online exams for each lecture series in the core curriculum. Fellows are still expected to attend the lecture in person, where they have opportunities to pose questions to the experts giving the lecture. Fellows evaluate all lecturers and review lectures they were not able to attend.

Other components of the online curriculum include extensive review of top articles in critical care medicine, algorithms for protocolized care, and developing crisis management skills.

The lectures are only available to the pediatric and adult Critical Care Fellows and healthcare professionals that work within the UPMC system.