Marika Azzopardi

The Synapse is changing again and it’s got a spanking new look and feel to it that should make it more user-friendly than ever before. As from January 1, 2009 in fact, The Synapse has intensified its determination to be the perfect one-stop entry point for medical professionals, providing a variety of new services to complement its existing ones.

Launched on October 18, 1996, Dr Wilfred Galea’s brainchild has developed firmly over the years, constantly incorporating new features that refine not merely its appearance as a portal, but also its efficiency.

There are several new features to be enjoyed just by clicking www.thesynapse.net and joining up. In The Synapse portal one can find:

·         Events Diary – this diary provides an information service about conferences and medical-related events in Malta. Dr Galea expands on this, “The idea is to offer an opportunity to organizing bodies by which they can easily and effectively inform the people that count. We offer free listings on The Synapse and the listing is shown for one month after the actual event takes place. We added on another adjacent service which should surely come in handy for busy professionals. An I-attended button is available on the Events Diary page. By clicking on this, The Synapse members can access their personal profile which they can routinely update to keep records of events attended and thus keep their accreditation status constantly on track. This should surely go some way towards helping doctors keep track of the events they attend during the year, making it simpler for them to eventually notch up their final credit status at the end of it.”

·         E-library – this is an archive of articles published in The Synapse magazine

·         Videos – a selection of medical-related video clips

·         News from the medical world – a round-up of all the medical news received by The Synapse in its capacity as a news service provider. The five-strong IT team behind The Synapse portal is constantly filtering information and selecting the most relevant information for medics on Malta.

·         Case-studies in medicine – a series of case-related observational tools in the form of images that can help medical professionals distinguish ailments

·         Case-studies in radiology – case-related observational tools in the form of images related to radiology (currently under construction)

·         Poll – this is a bi-weekly poll asking members for their opinion on specific topics. A great tool for anybody interested in starting a new area of research or complementing an already existing line of research.

·         The Synapse Direct – instead of waiting for test results for days or having to collect them from laboratories, this allows doctors to securely download results from their clinic, directly onto one’s practice record system

·         Corporate news on new products by medical companies & financial news

·         Network announcements – including exhibitions & leisure events organized by fellow colleagues, campaigns, etc

·         CME Programme modules

·         Job opportunities

Presently The Synapse network boasts 3,000 members including local and foreign healthcare professionals. And as always, this medical media company is already eyeing its plans in the pipeline. “We plan to add on to the already well-established range of services. We are constantly encouraged by the regular use of The Synapse website, which together with positive feedback is particularly rewarding for us. As always, we stick to our motto – If it’s relevant, it’s on The Synapse. I believe the portal’s success so far means we’re probably doing things right.”

If you are experiencing technical problems to view or access certain features on www.thesynapse.net most probably this is due to particular settings. Kindly contact us on editor@thesynapse.net in order to assist you.