Editor of this issue:

Gail Hendler, Ehrman Medical Library, New York University Medical School, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, S-10, Phone: 212-263-8925, Fax: 212-263-8196, E-mail: hendler@library.med.nyu.edu.

Welcome to Web Watch: Pat's Picks. This will be an ongoing column on valuable websites related to the health sciences. I hope this column will give you an idea of what is new, interesting and valuable on the web; it will, very much, be a "matter of opinion", not a scientific analysis of the web resources. I welcome suggestions for future columns (and for topics you would like to see covered).

To acquaint you with our review system, websites will be rated by mice, 5 being the highest rating:

to

This edition will review a variety of resources

1. Aesculapius
   http://www.in-ta.net/info/aesculapius/

   Every health sciences librarian has gotten the eternal what is the difference between the Caduceus and the Staff of Aesulapius? This site attempts to answer the question. Though the identity of the author of the page is not easily evident (which downgrades its points), it does provide reference sources, as well as a variety of images of the staff and the Caduceus.

   My rating:



2. Medem
   http://www.medem.com/

   In an effort to coordinate information from the major medical societiess into one discreet website, Medem currently provides information from 35 State and National organizations, including: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Medem is a useful tool for the health consumer and the healthcare practitioner.

   My rating:



3. Clinical Trials.gov
   http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/

   Clinical Trials.gov is an essential resource for discovering the latest in available clinical trials. If there is a down side here, it is that the trials are only those "sponsored primarily by the National Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies." That being said, it is a research site to keep well at hand.

   My rating:



4. SUNY Health Sciences Library Evidence Based Medicine Course
   http://servers.medlib.hscbklyn.edu/ebm/toc.html

   What is Evidence-based Medicine? Why should it be practiced? What is a cohort study? How is an effective EBM search performed? The answers are here, with lovely graphics to illustrate the various clinical studies. Start the physician who is asking these questions here.

   My rating:



5. The CARES Directory
   http://www.uwnyc.org/640/caresol.html

   The United Way has mounted an online version of their invaluable CARES Directory on the web. Formerly called The Sourcebook, The CARES Directory is a listing of social and health services programs and agencies in New York City. Use the web version to search by program subject, for agencies in a particular borough, by zip code, by language, by target group, or combine the search options for a tailored search of (primarily) New York City resources.

   My rating:

   
   
6. And now for something completely different:
   
   The Internet Movie Database
   http://www.us.imdb.com/

   Who played Madame Curie in the movies (Greer Garson)? Was there REALLY a movie about syphillis? (Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet). All this and more (okay, so isn't really medical) is at your fingertips in this invaluable and regularly updated tool.

   My rating: