Using the Virtual Clinic

Signing in

Make sure you use the same name, with exact spelling, each time you use the mini-fellowship. Reasons for this are discussed in the Travel Guide.

Making a selection

You make selections in the normal way, by moving your mouse cursor and clicking the mouse button (left button for Windows users). When the cursor is over an area that can be selected, it changes from an arrow shape to a hand shape.

Moving around

There are a couple of ways to move around in the Clinic: from the Overview map or the Hallway.

Overview: You get to this view by clicking on any of the overview icons (they look like evacuation diagrams) that are scattered throughout the clinic. From the map, just click on any area that interests you, and that drops you into the appropriate location in the Hallway.

Hallway: To enter a room, click on the appropriate doorknob. To move down the hallway, click to the side of the screen in the direction you want to go. To get to the Overview, click on a "fire evacuation plan."

Viewing patient records

When in the Hallway in front of an examining room door, you can elect to view your simulated patient's chart. In general, you can turn pages by clicking on the appropriate side of the chart (NOTE that for slower computers, it can take some time for a new page to appear; please be patient). As your simulated patient's disease progresses, her chart grows quite a bit; we've provided record tabs to help you jump around. When finished viewing the chart, click on the "Done" tab or button.

Navigating through Lectures, Case Discussions

You can skip forward and backward through the lectures and case discussion screens by clicking on the VCR-like control strip available on most screens. The five buttons, from left to right, have the following effect:

       - "fast-rewind" to the previous screen;
       - "rewind" to the beginning of the currently playing screen;
       - "stop" the audio, with options to resume or end your current section;
       - "play";
       - "fast-forward" to the next screen.

Note that this control strip is not available during video sequences or when no audio is playing. If the cursor isn't responding while trying to click these buttons, the program is probably busy and will return control shortly.

Taking a break: Exiting and Resuming the Program

You'll probably want to do your mini-fellowship in several sessions. To exit the Virtual Clinic program, go to the Clinic Overview by clicking on any Overview icon which looks like a fire evacuation diagram. Then click on the EXIT sign in the right lower corner. Your location (progress) in the mini-fellowship will be automatically saved. You'll be able to pick up where you left off the next time you sign back into the Clinic. An alternative way to Exit, which can be used anywhere in the Clinic, is to press Alt+Q (Win) or Command+Q (Mac).

When you come back to the program, sign in with the same name you used before and click the Restore button to pick up where you left off. Only select "Start Over" if you really want erase all record of your current progress through the mini-fellowship. If you simply want to show someone the program from the beginning, try signing in with a different name from the one you're using for your mini-fellowship..