Welcome to the Spokane Health Sciences Library! We’re your resource for academic, clinical, and research information throughout your time at WSU. On this page, we point you to a few of our best resources to use for your cases each week.
Textbooks, which you can find in our eBook Databases below, are great for learning about a topic you’re unfamiliar with. Rely on research articles to find the current and best evidence to support your clinical practice. Look at our Research Databases list to learn more about the four most popular databases.
We provide links to resources in the digital eBooks so you can explore more deeply the topics we introduce. If you have any difficulty accessing our resources, please reach out! We’re here to assist you by helping you identify good resources, teaching you how to use those resources, and troubleshooting any issues that come up along the way.
Needing help with a research project? Want to learn how to navigate the Library? Arrange to meet with a librarian for one-on-one help.
To start
Bookmark the library website and the Library Resources for Medicine guide, which links to many resources that are specifically relevant to the College of Medicine.
what type of question do you have?
As you start learning medicine, through CBL, you will likely be asking many background questions. Background questions ask for general knowledge that can often be found in a textbook. As you progress through the program (and develop as a physician), you will likely ask more foreground questions. Foreground questions ask for specific knowledge - new treatments or diagnostic procedures requiring information found in recent scholarly publications. Refer to the guide below, throughout your CBL journey, to identify appropriate information resources for your stage of development and the type of questions you have. The Finding Information Framework will help you categorize your questions and find the most helpful information resources.
Helpful and recommended textbooks
eBook databases
We have several databases of eBooks, which can be extremely helpful when you’re learning about a new subject. These databases have many academic books and textbooks that you’ll use throughout your time here. In addition to the books that you’ve been assigned, there are thousands more to help you wherever your case leads.
Point-of-care resources
All medical providers rely on having high-quality clinical information at their fingertips. These resources allow you to search for a wide range of conditions, topics, patient education resources, drug information, and more. These resources are also available as apps on your mobile device through your WSU affiliation.
Research databases
As you gain a baseline of knowledge, you’ll also come to rely on research articles. These resources expect you to already have a basic understanding of the topics you’re studying, but they are invaluable in communicating the most recent information that we learn about the human body. These resources will become progressively more useful as you continue through your four years.