Questions & Answers: The "How to Examine Patients" Foundation Kit

"What is The Apprentice Doctor® 'How to Examine Patients' Foundation Course and Kit?"

The "How to Examine Patients" course material is contained on an interactive CD-ROM and teaches you techniques for examining patients using video clips, sound clips, illustrations, animations, detailed instructions, games, and more.

A 12-piece examination kit contains various real medical instruments and enables you to gain both theoretical knowledge and practice your skills by performing 40 fun practical projects!

You can also look forward to more projects released online if you sign up for Letters from the Doc.

"Can I complete the course on my own?"

When you order the "How to Examine Patients" Kit you will receive:

• The interactive course material on CD-ROM
• A kit containing medical instruments and items required to complete the projects on the CD-ROM
  

The course can be completed in the comfort of your home at your own pace, and should take about 2 weeks (6-8 hours per day) to complete.

Parental guidance is recommended for students younger than 18 years of age. We recommend that a qualified individual (a doctor, professional nurse or biology teacher) evaluate and assess the student's knowledge and sign their certificate on completion of the course.

The course material is perfectly suited for use in a group situation, and it is being used by a number of high schools as course material to supplement the Biology/Life Sciences curriculum. Some high schools have a structured pre-med class and of course The Apprentice Doctor® "How to Examine Patients" Foundation Course is perfectly suited as course material for these pre-med classes!

"Who can benefit from the course?"

The Apprentice Doctor® "How to Examine Patients" Foundation Course has been applied successfully in the following settings:

• High school students interested in pursuing a career in medicine, desiring a foretaste of their future career
• Supplementary material to the high school Biology or Life Sciences curriculum
• Perfect material for home-schoolers
• Medics in the military
• Supplementary material for pre-medical, junior medical students
• Students and prospective students in other medical careers e.g. dentistry, nursing, paramedics etc.
• A resource to train Allied Healthcare professionals in the basic principles of examining the Human Body (Osteopathic-, Homeopathic health practitioners, medical laboratory /office personnel, cosmetologists etc.)
• Any person with a keen interest in medicine, healthcare and the human body

"What are the basic subjects that the course covers?"

To answer that question, let's have a look at The Apprentice Doctor® "How to Examine Patients" Foundation Course Index:

INTRODUCTION

1. Basic Principles Of Hygiene
2. Taking A Medical History

A. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF EXAMINATION

1. Sound: A Biomedical Perspective
2. The Ear And Hearing
3. Light: A Biomedical Perspective
4. The Eye And Vision
5. Medical Instruments
6. The Examination Of A Patient

B. THE HUMAN BODY

1. The Covering System
2. The Skeletal System
3. The Muscular System
4. The Nervous System
5. The Endocrine System
6. The Cardiovascular System
7. The Lymphatic System
8. The Respiratory System
9. The Digestive System
10. The Urinary System
11. The Reproductive System
12. Careers in Healthcare
    

"Can you offer me more information regarding the 40 practical projects?"

Yes! To begin with, you will learn the basic principles of medicine, such as proper hand-washing technique (can be applied to surgeons scrubbing before surgery), and filling in a patient's medical file.

Then the enjoyment really begins in earnest when you learn how to accurately perform many medical tasks routinely performed by doctors. It's lots of fun!

The instruments, items, charts and diagrams (included with the kit at no extra cost when purchasing the course material on CD-ROM) are used to complete the majority of these projects. Three additional items are required for three of the practical projects and for the sake of package size, affordability and shipping weight, these were not included. A blood pressure meter, reflex hammer, and urine test strips were omitted and are available at any pharmacy.

Let's have a look at The Apprentice Doctor® "How to Examine Patients" Foundation Course Projects Index:

• Project 00 A Technique For Proper Hand Washing
• Project 0 Taking A Medical History
• Project 1 The Qualities Of Sound
• Project 2 An Introduction To Percussion
• Project 3 Medical Sound Samples
• Project 4 Examine The Ear
• Project 5.1 Mixing Colors Of Light
• Project 5.2 Inspect The Color Of The Mucous Membranes
• Project 6 Examine The Eye
• Project 7 The Snellen Test
• Project 8 The Blind Spot
• Project 9 The Stethoscope And Sphygmomanometer - Assembly And Care
• Project 10 The Stethoscope - Familiarize
• Project 11 The Structural Arrangement Of The Body
• Project 12 Subdivisions Of The Chest
• Project 13 Subdivisions Of The Abdomen
• Project 14 A Percussion Model Of The Chest
• Project 15 Technique For Medical Percussion
• Project 16 Examination By Percussion
• Project 17 Examine The Skin
• Project 18 Examine The Nails
• Project 19 Examine The Hair
• Project 20 The Bony Landmarks Of The Body
• Project 21 Joint Sounds
• Project 22 Body Temperature
• Project 23 The Muscles Of The Body
• Project 24 The Heart Rate
• Project 25 The Pupil-Light Reflex
• Project 26 The Facial Nerve
• Project 27 Spinal Nerve Reflexes
• Project 28 Growth Chart
• Project 29 Turbulence In The Flow Of A Liquid
• Project 30 Heart Sounds
• Project 31 Blood Pressure
• Project 32 The Body's Lymph Nodes
• Project 33 The Respiratory Rate
• Project 34 Respiratory Sounds
• Project 35 Breathing Movements
• Project 36 Examine The Oral Cavity
• Project 37 Taste Laboratory
• Project 38 Gastrointestinal Sounds
• Project 39 Examine The Abdomen
• Project 40 Urinalysis
• Project 41 Heart Sounds: An Unborn Baby

"Who developed these products?"

The Apprentice Doctor® "How to Examine Patients" Foundation Course is the cumulative effort of a great number of medical professionals and experts in a variety of disciplines, but The Apprentice Doctor® concept is the brainchild of Dr Anton Scheepers - a practicing Maxillofacial surgeon and medical school lecturer.

"How old must I be to do this course?"

The course is not recommended for children under the age of 12. There's no upper age limit - many adults of various ages have ordered a kit and marveled at their newly gained medical knowledge and skills!

"What do I get for my order?"

• A CD-ROM which contains the course material and practical projects.
• A stethoscope, a digital thermometer, examination gloves, masks, alcohol swabs, tongue depressors, an examination light convertible into an otoscope, a marker pen and ruler and a variety of medical charts and diagrams - all of which will be used as you work your way through the CD-ROM.

"Do you only ship to people living in the USA and Canada?"

We ship our products all over the world. We've even received orders from special forces soldiers serviing on US Navy ships and in Iraq.

"Are there any dangers involved?"

ABSOLUTELY! You may become addicted to learning something you actually care about instead of some of the boring subjects you may currently be doing.

On a serious note, great time and attention was given to the issue of safety. Clear guidelines and warnings are given where appropriate. The course was created with safety as the primary concern. No needles, blades, or dangerous substances have been included. Safety and aseptic technique are strongly promoted throughout the course.

"Is the course material accredited with educational authorities/medical schools?"

The course material is officially accredited with Solid Rock Virtual School for Science credits at middle/high school level. The course is not officially accredited with medical schools, but we strongly recommend that you include your certificate (on completion of the course) when applying for admission to a pre-medical/medical schools.

"Are the instruments included similar to those used by our family's G.P.?"

The medical examination instruments included with the course (for example the stethoscope, thermometer and examination light etc.) will be encountered in any medical doctor's office. These are not toys! They are real, functional entry level medical instruments used by doctors on a daily basis.

"What will I learn from this course?"

Far too many things to mention here, but in a nutshell, by the end of the course you will have:

• A good knowledge of how the human body works
• Various techniques used by the family doctor to examine the human body to make a diagnosis
• A general knowledge of the instruments used by a doctor and you will be able to understand and use those infamous medical terms

"Is this a difficult course to work through?"

This course simplifies complex medical concepts to make it easy to understand! You will walk away from The Apprentice Doctor® "How to Examine Patients" Foundation Course having built up an extensive library of knowledge about medical methods and techniques. What's more, you will practice what you've learned, and thus thoroughly retain that knowledge for years and years.

"Are there any practical applications to the course material?"

That is what makes the "How to Examine Patients" Foundation Course unique. No other course provides career-orientated knowledge backed up with practical applications, AND real tools and instruments to practice. For example, one of the things you will do while working through the course is learn how to listen to and analyze a heartbeat, and then use the stethoscope in the kit to listen to your own or someone else's heartbeat.

One of the most exciting projects allows you to listen to the heartbeat of an unborn baby, still in the mother's womb!

"Can I use this course to replace my doctor?"

No! Your doctor studied for many, many years and accumulated a wealth of practical experience before he/she could apply to register at a professional board allowing him/her to sell their skills. The Apprentice Doctor® "How to Examine Patients" Foundation Course will certainly allow you to perform some basic self-examinations but if there are any suspicions of an abnormality, your family doctor must be consulted for a professional opinion! It is illegal to use the information from the course to consult with, diagnose, or treat people.

"Can I order the instruments separately when they wear out?"

Yes. In the Shop area you can order a refill pack containing all the disposable items included in the "How to Examine Patients" Kit.

"Are there any future courses I can look forward to?"

Yes! A number of other career related courses are currently under development. Fresh out of the oven is our "How to Stitch-Up Wounds" Course and Kit - it's become hugely popular so don't miss this. If you want both kits at a crazy bargain, check out the cool COMBO offer.

The next kit in The Apprentice Doctor® family will be "The Apprentice Vet"

Check back often and sign up for Letters from the Doc to stay informed.

"Will the CD-ROM run on my Apple Mac computer?"

The e-book will work on Mac and Microsoft computers. Unfortunately, The Apprentice Doctor® "How to Examine Patients" interactive CD-ROM will only run on a Windows® platform/operating system. We are in the process of updating the software so it will run on any system.

(The "How to Stitch-Up Wounds" Suturing Course software runs on both platforms though)

"I have a question not covered in this list. Can you help?"

Feel free to ask any further questions using the Contact Us section for this purpose. Thank you!

---