The development of a novel medical education elective for fourth-year medical students

Internet-based medical education resources, such as podcasts, have increased in number and popularity in recent years, and are being integrated into all levels of medical training and continuing medical education.1,2 Podcasts may be more effective than traditional methods of instruction such as textbooks for learners who prefer auditory modes of learning.3 Social media, through which podcasts can be distributed, is defined as the social interaction among people through virtual communities. The term ‘Free OpenAccess Medical EDucation' (FOAMed), coined in 2012, is a subset of social media relating to the “creation and exchange of user-generated [medical] content via virtual networks and communities”.4 It is growing rapidly, out of a desire by health care professionals for free medical education and as a means to stay current with the wide scope of EM literature.5,6 This article describes the creation of the Emergency Medicine Cases (EMC) podcast, as well as the innovative transformation that occurred as a result of its conversion to a free open-access resource and its partnership with an academic institution.