Tools of the Trade....

Simplify your study time. Use drug dosage calculators, medical mnemonics, clinical drug databases, ABG and EKG tutorials, among other tools and resources to help you better understand what you've learned in lecture and read about in your textbooks.

Drug Dosage Calculators

Though most professors and teaching faculty will likely expect you to figure out drug conversions and dosage calculations the old fashioned way-using a pencil and paper-these calculators can be helpful for checking your work. Keep in mind that all calculations must be confirmed before using them and that suggested doses should not override clinical judgment:
Nursing calculators

Medical Mnemonics

Mnemonics, which simply means "memory aid" in Greek, is a quick and significant means to enhance your memorization skills. Unlike acronyms and other means of learning by association, using mnemonics is an effective way to remember hard-to-retain lists of facts. Check out these mnemonic aids:
World's Database of Medical Mnemonics

Clinical Drug Databases

Not familiar with what prescriptive drugs are available? Use a clinical drug database. Though they vary in their offerings, you are likely to find that they provide information on up-to-date pharmaceuticals on the market, as well as off-label uses and dosages, herbal supplements and nutritional products. Some clinical drug databases also list new drugs on the market and drugs being tested. Here are a few databases to explore:
Infectious disease clinical drug downloads
Rx List

Arterial Blood Gases (ABGs)

Evaluating arterial blood gases (ABGs) means determining the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, as well as the acidity of the blood shortly after it leaves the heart. Use these ABG online tutorial tools to help you assess the oxygen capacity of the lungs, the oxygen pressure in the blood, respiratory adequacy and acid-base balance:
General Information about ABGs

EKGs

With so many different types of cardia arrhythmias, learning what the electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) rhythms mean can be confusing. Use the following links to help you interpret, study and improve your ability to recognize EKGs:
The EKG Tutorial
Normal and Abnormal EKGs and Heart Sounds

Virtual Stethoscopes

Use these virtual stethoscope sites to help you decipher normal and abnormal cardiac and respiratory sounds:
Habits of the Heart
McGill University Virtual Stethoscope

Other References

Want to know more? Check out these general references for all of your study needs:
Free Health Care Data
MedicalMatrix
National Library of Medicine: Visible Human Project
Loyola University Medical Center: Structure of the Human
University of Washington Muscle Atlas