Top Websites for Medical Students

You will never get agreement on the answer to this question so you must consider this just one person's opinion. 

The first site is that of the Canadian Medical Association (http://www.cma.ca/).   The CMA is the collective voice for Medicine in Canada and is often quoted in the media when it takes positions on various issues affecting the health of Canadians.  The body also speaks to government on issues requiring legislation and which it feels are of great importance to the profession as a whole.  This portal is also an access to "The CMAJ" a journal  which has become a respected and  invaluable source of clinical and organizational information to doctors in Canada.  The CMA frequently addresses educational and student issues so is a great way for med students to start to get a flavour of what it is to be a doctor and prepare themselves for that life.

The second site has become extremely valuable to doctors in their constant quest to keep well informed on the best possible treatments for their patients.  It is called Up-to-Date (http://www.uptodate.com/index).  It serves the role that a doctor's library once fulfilled, only better, since it is constantly morphing as new information comes in.  There are many similar sites but this one seems to have captured the confidence of many doctors and med students.  (Believe me, I'm getting no kickback for this unsolicited endorsement.)  It is costly for doctors to subscribe to its services although many med school libraries have subscriptions which allow student free access.  

Finally, the third site is generic and I'll call it "yourotherlife.com".   It could be the site of the Stratford Festival, or the Ottawa Senators, or your local athletic club or your church.  All I'm saying is that, right from the beginning of med school, students should cultivate a personal life, an escape hatch to which they can retire when they need to get away from the stresses of life. 

Jim Silcox, Professor Emeritus, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Ontario, and 3M National Teaching Fellow.

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