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Employing Graphs to Learn Microbiology
Introducing Med School Microbiology, the newest Banana Chip Tech website
Background
One of the most difficult, yet important, concepts to master in medical education is microbiology/infectious diseases. Coursework in this area seeks to educate future healthcare professionals on the different organisms that infect humans, their clinical presentations, and their treatments. An understanding of these concepts is critical in effectively diagnosing and treating patients.
Despite the importance of this concept, the inherent nature of the material makes it difficult to master. There are hundreds of disease causing organisms, each with varying clinical presentations. Students are expected to both remember and apply the various features of each of the seemingly unrelated organisms in a clinical setting. Thus, the impetus behind Med School Microbiology is to devise a way to organize organisms in ways that help students master the content. Please keep in mind that the website is for educational purposes only!
Website Features
To accomplish this goal, Med School Microbiology makes use of a series of graphs and tools to organize and display information in multiple visually appealing ways.
Searchable database
The first tool that is provided by the website is the ability to search for organisms by name. The website returns all of the information in the database associated with a particular organism. Med School Microbiology’s databases contains information such as diseases and symptoms caused by infection, the route of transmission, risk factors associated with infection, test results, treatment regimens, and important miscellaneous information.
Jaccard Similarity
The next tool offered by the website is the Jaccard Similarity tool. This tool helps users understand the similarities and differences between organisms. In the case of the…
