Medical podcasts go viral

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Dr. Johnathan White speaks about U of A-produced “Surgery 101” podcasts in a YouTube video.

Published: September 12, 2011 5:35 a.m.

Last modified: September 12, 2011 12:13 a.m.

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It’s not just Ke$ha and Rihanna topping students’ iTunes playlists: Coronary bypasses and prostate problems have also made the cut.

“Surgery 101” was born as a teaching tool for medical students, but the popularity of the brainchild of Dr. Jonathan White, University of Alberta director of surgical education, has become infectious.

“It took two years to get to 100,000 downloads, and last week we just passed 250,000,” White said of the podcasts originally meant to deliver information to 125 students.

Episodes have been downloaded in 116 countries, and new ones are posted Fridays, many including sound effects such as flushing toilets in a prostate-gland presentation.

“Otherwise it’s just some boring guy talking,” White said.

Learning has changed since his days studying medicine in Belfast, but for the better.

“I like the way a podcast works because you can access it immediately,” he said.

These days anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can learn a thing or two. A particularly useful upcoming student address offers tips on “how to avoid fainting in the ER,” White said.

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