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United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

Fact Sheet
Opportunities for Training and Education Sponsored by the National Library of Medicine


The National Library of Medicine (NLM) supports a variety of education and training opportunities for health professionals. For more information, please contact the person or office listed.

Medical Informatics
Online Searching - Training for Librarians and Information Specialists
Library/Information Science Training

Medical Informatics

Institutional Grants: NLM supports training grants in medical informatics at ten major universities. They are intended to train predoctoral and postdoctoral students for research in medical informatics. Some offer special track training in such informatics-intensive fields as radiation oncology and biotechnology. A description of the programs, with fields of emphasis, is available from Extramural Programs (EP), NLM (301- 496-4621).

Individual Fellowships: Informatics Research Training. Post-doctoral health science workers who identify a mentor, institution, research project, and curriculum are eligible to compete for these fellowships. They complement the institutional programs (described above) by making it possible for students to enter informatics training at any institution with appropriate mentor and facilities. For details, contact EP, (301-496-4621).

Applied Informatics. These fellowships support training for those who will design or manage large information systems, or adapt applications developed by research workers to actual use in a clinic setting, classroom, laboratory, library, or office. Although many applicants will have doctorates, nurses, librarians, and other health professionals without doctoral degrees are encouraged to apply. For details, contact EP (301-496-4621).

IAIMS: Over the last decade, NLM has supported the development of Integrated Academic Information Management Systems in selected major medical centers. The enormous experience gained by those who, through on-the-job training, have developed and implemented extremely complex integrated information systems, will now be systematically exploited through designated training slots at IAIMS sites. For details contact EP (301-496-4621).

Biotechnology: For recent doctoral graduates, the National Research Council Research Associateship Program provides an opportunity for concentrated research in association with selected members of the NCBI scientific staff. Details, contact David Lipman, M.D., NCBI, NLM (301-496- 2475).

Woods Hole: The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, conducts an NLM sponsored one-week course in Medical Informatics yearly. Thirty trainees are selected from applicants in health professions, research, and librarianship. They receive intensive hands-on experience with a variety of medical information systems, including medical informatics, expert systems, and molecular biology databases. Trainees have most costs covered. Details, contact: Ms. Catherine N. Norton, Dir., Info. Systems, Marine Biological Lab, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (508-548-3705 x341).

HBCU Toxicology Information Outreach: NLM's Toxicology Information Program (TIP) supports projects designed to strengthen the capacity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to train medical and other health professionals in the use of toxicological, environmental, occupational and hazardous wastes information resources developed at NLM. A number of HBCUs with schools of medicine, pharmacy and nursing are participating in the program which includes training and free access to NLM's databases. Details, contact Gale Dutcher, TIP, NLM (301-496-3147).

Medical Informatics Elective: The Computer Science Branch, LHNCBC, conducts an eight-week elective in Medical Informatics, as part of NIH's Clinical Electives Program. Each spring this elective combines an extensive seminar series by senior figures in the field with an independent research project under the preceptorship of an NIH professional. Eight to fourteen fourth-year medical students are admitted each year. Details, contact May Cheh, LHNCBC (301-435-3193).

Medical Informatics Training Program: LHNCBC conducts a Medical Informatics Training Program to provide support for faculty members, postdoctoral scientists, graduate students, undergraduate students for research participation at the Center for visits of a few months to several years. Details, contact May Cheh, LHNCBC (301-435-3193).

Online Searching - Training for Librarians and Information Specialists

Web-based Training: The PubMed Tutorial, a Web-based interactive tutorial that enables anyone using a computer with Internet access to learn about PubMed is available. You can also reach the tutorial by clicking "Tutorial" from the PubMed sidebar. The self-paced, interactive tutorial is useful to the casual, first-time, PubMed searcher as well as to the more experienced PubMed searcher.

NLM Training: PubMed
This full-day class is designed to teach students how to use PubMed. It also includes an overview of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®) and its importance as a tool to both searchers and indexers. PubMed provides access to over 12 million MEDLINE® citations back to the mid-1960’s. This class is for U.S. domestic searchers. There are no fees for training but students must cover their own travel and lodging. Classes are held throughout the United States. The training schedule and other details are available from the National Training Center and Clearinghouse at 1-800-338-7657 (press 2).

NLM Training: NLM Gateway & ClinicalTrials.gov
This half –day class is designed to teach students how to use the NLM Gatewayis a Web-based system that allows users to search simultaneously in multiple NLM retrieval systems. This class also includes a discussion and demonstration of ClinicalTrials.gov. This class is for U.S. domestic searchers. There are no fees for training but students must cover their own travel and lodging. Classes are held throughout the United States. The training schedule and other details are available from the National Training Center and Clearinghouse Clearinghouse at 1-800-338-7657 (press 2).

NLM Training: TOXNET
This full-day class is designed to convey the basics of searching the NLM’s TOXNET, a web-based system of databases in the areas of toxicology, environmental health, and related subjects. Students learn the content and structure of files covering toxicology data, toxicology literature, toxic releases, and chemical searching and nomenclature. Among the databases highlighted are TOXLINE®, the Hazardous Substances Data Bank, the Integrated Risk Information System, the Toxic Release Inventory, and ChemIDplus. This class is for U.S. domestic searchers. There are no fees for training but students must cover their own travel and lodging. Classes are held throughout the United States. The training schedule and other details are available from the National Training Center and Clearinghouse at 1-800-338-7657 (press 2).

UMLS® Basics
This 8-hour, hands-on course introduces NLM’s Unified Medical Language System® (UMLS): what it is and how it is used. Students gain an understanding of the three main components, or knowledge sources: the Metathesaurus, the Semantic Network, and the SPECIALIST Lexicon—what these are and how these and related tools are used in a variety of biomedical applications and research. A broad overview of the 95-plus source vocabularies contained in the Metathesaurus is provided. Criteria for assessing the usefulness of specific controlled vocabularies for clinical, research, and educational purposes are discussed. The online UMSL Knowledge Source Server (UMLSKS) is used to access UMLS data throughout the class. Hands-on exercises allow students to practice basic and advanced searching skills. Some experience is provided with software called MetamorphoSys and how it can be applied to produce customized local versions of the Metathesaurus useful for particular applications. The audience is those medical librarians interested in medical informatics who desire an introduction to the UMLS and an understanding of the issues and practical considerations involved in selecting and using appropriate controlled vocabularies for a range of biomedical applications. This class is for U.S. domestic searchers. There are no fees for training but students must cover their own travel and lodging. Classes are held only at The National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland. The training schedule and other details are available from the National Training Center and Clearinghouse Clearinghouse at 1-800-338-7657 (press 2).

Library/Information Science Training

Library Associate Program: Each year NLM offers up to eight one-year postgraduate training fellowships to recent graduates of an ALA-accredited library school. Fellows spend a year at NLM training for future leadership positions in medical librarianship. Associate Fellows are offered an optional second year at another health sciences library or information center. For an application and details see the Program web page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/training/associate/index.html or contact : Library Associate Program Coordinator, Barbara Rapp, 301-435-4083.

Indexing: NLM periodically offers a two-week training program for those preparing to index biomedical journals for MEDLARS®. Trainees are chosen from NLM staff, those who work for NLM's contractors, and those who will become indexers at non-U.S. MEDLARS Centers. Training is followed by an extensive apprenticeship in indexing under guidance of senior indexers. More information: James Marcetich, Head, Index Section, Bibliographic Services Division, NLM (301-496-3262).

Last updated: 10 February 2004
First published: 01 January 1999
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanent: Stable Content