Reading the Medical Literature:

an online journal club for midwives

Overview
Who Should Attend
Course Description
Continuing Education Units
Schedule and Fees
Computer Requirements
Instructor

Overview

Participants will:

• critique five articles relevant to midwifery practice from the medical literature
• compare study designs, assess the appropriateness of the design for the study questions, describe the methods, results and discussions of the studies and assess the importance of the study findings
• discuss the relevance of the study's findings to their own practice and/or to midwifery policy in their area

Who Should Attend?

The course is appropriate for:

• midwives who would like to improve their skills reading the medical literature and are seeking CEUs
• senior student midwives
• other experienced maternity care professionals

Course Description

Each week, you will read and critique one article from the midwifery or medical literature.  After reading the article for the current week, you will answer several post-test questions. These questions are designed to require that you read the articles carefully and apply critical reading skills, but they do not require specialized knowledge of clinical issues or prior knowledge of how to read medical literature. You will then join an online discussion with other participants in the course, creating a rich exchange between midwives practicing around the country.

The post-test and discussion questions will generally ask you to describe the following: the hypothesis, exposures and outcomes that are being studied, the type of study design, how subjects were selected, the results and conclusions drawn by the authors of the study. The questions will also address the strengths and limitations of the study and the relevance of the study's findings to the participant’s own practice and/or to midwifery policy in their area.  Brief definitions of all technical terms will be included.

The online course will include a resource section with books, web links, or any other sources the facilitator identifies that will help participants with limited background in this area to better understand the basic epidemiological concepts.  This is NOT a full epidemiology course, but it is designed to accommodate people with a wide range of backgrounds. 

A PowerPoint presentation that reviews basic epidemiological concepts will be included in the resource section, and participants who have not studied epidemiology or biostatistics are encouraged to read through that presentation and the notes that accompany it.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

• 12 hours from MEAC
• 12 hours ACNM specialty credit

Schedule and Fees

See the class schedule for the next available course dates and fees.

Once your tuition and fees are paid, you will receive a log on and password and a written orientation to WebCT use.  (WebCT is our online educational interface.)  This will be sent to you via email, and you will be able to go online and try things out a few days before the course begins.  Technical assistance will be available.

You will need to spend one or two blocks of time each week (approximately 2 1/2 hours total per week) to complete the requirements.  Each week there will be a journal article assigned, and you will be expected to read it, do the post-test questions on WebCT, and contribute to the online discussion by Sunday night.  The success of the professional exchange depends on your weekly engagement; so all work (except in the event of an emergency) must be completed by the weekly deadlines in order to receive full CEU credit for the course. You manage your own time, and join the discussion when it works for you. Of course, with births and other unknowns of life, we highly recommended that you complete the coursework in advance of the deadlines.

Computer Requirements

Please click here for a complete summary of computer requirements for WebCT.

Instructor

Sarah Huntington, CPM, MPH is the epidemiology instructor at Seattle Midwifery School.

Class Schedule and Fees >>
Registration Form (PDF)>>