I’m in constant pursuit to learn more about everything! Although cardiothoracic anesthesiology and critical care are my subspecialties, I am interested in all organ systems and their interplay to maintain systemic homeostasis. Consequently, my ideas for free open access medical education (FOAMed) stem from anything – my patients, new publications, random notes in a margin of some textbook that I found interesting, discussions I have with my residents/fellows, a topic I ran across on YouTube, and especially topics I’m weak at.
I create 100% of my content – this website, my EchoTools app, social media posts/captions, replies to comments, etc. I think it’s important that people know the source, credentials, and training of whoever is creating content (especially in a world of so much misinformation), so I share all this.
After determining a topic, I write a post on this blog. I rely on textbooks, my own experience, the literature, etc. to generate the captions. I try to keep them short and simple yet detailed enough to appeal to a wide audience.
Next is the image. Sometimes, this is based on a diagram I construct in Microsoft Excel, a picture I’ve taken on my iPhone, or a diagram I’ve drawn on GoodNotes on my iPad. I AirDrop the images from my iPhone/iPad to my desktop and use Pixelmator Pro to modify the image.
This website is the foundation of all of my social media. I have 100% control of its framework and content, so it’s very easy for me to upload supplemental articles, provide internal links to related posts, and combine various forms of media (videos, galleries, etc.) to teach my trainees in the OR and ICU settings. Plus, I don’t have annoying restrictions/limitations on searching through content, adding links, etc. Everything is right here!
That said, I do cross-post across my various social media channels for maximum exposure.
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