Welcome to the TMU Libraries Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) Guide

This guide brings together essential medical resources available through TMU Libraries. It is designed to support your undergraduate medical education by providing streamlined access to course materials, clinical tools, evidence-based practice resources, key databases, and more.

Kindly view the slides from the TMU Library Orientation for UGME Students here. 

What is ?

Omni is the academic search platform for TMU Libraries, providing access to a wide range of resources including books, journal articles, multimedia, and more. It enables seamless discovery across TMU’s collections as well as those of partner institutions. 

Through Omni, you can search for materials, place requests, and manage your library account. This section outlines the scope of Omni’s content. 

What Can You Find in Omni? 

Omni includes: 

• All print and electronic titles held by libraries at TMU Libraries, including books, journals, maps, videos, course reserves, and more. 
• Many digital journal articles, book chapters, and streaming media but not everything. 
• All print titles held by Omni partner institutions across Ontario. 

You can use Omni to locate materials within TMU’s collections and those of other Omni libraries. It’s also a useful tool for exploring research topics. However, like other multidisciplinary indexes (e.g., Google Scholar), Omni is not fully comprehensive. For more targeted and complete searches, we recommend using subject-specific databases and research tools like PubMed and Embase.

Searching

When typing in your keywords, you'll notice that Omni presents different options to adjust the scope of your search. These are the search scopes, and they change where you are searching. Here's what they mean:

• TMU Libraries + Omni Libraries: Search for print and electronic titles, and items (e.g., articles), from libraries at TMU and other Ontario universities. You can request items from other Omni libraries directly from the search results.
• TMU Libraries: Search for print and electronic titles, and items (e.g., articles), from libraries at TMU.

By default, your Omni search will show you books and physical items available for you to request at all participating Ontario Universities. It will also show you online resources provided by TMU Libraries such as eBooks, articles and videos. 

Tip: If you only want to see physical items owned by TMU Libraries, just select the "Toronto Metropolitan University print and physical items" filter after you search.

Add results beyond our collection:

• By default, when you search Omni you will see records for print and digital materials which are available to you – either at our library, by ordering it from other Omni libraries, or by accessing it online through our website.

When you select "expand search beyond our collection," you will also see records for material that we don't have access to. This lets you discover potentially relevant material beyond our collection. While you may not be able to access these materials directly, you can use the interlibary (ILL) loan service to order this material.

Get Research Help 

The TMU Medical Library is committed to supporting the research needs of our undergraduate medical students in a variety of ways. 

Book a Research Appointment 

Meet one-on-one with a librarian for tailored support in: 

• Searching for information
• Developing effective search strategies
• Navigating databases 

Book your consultation via the email: medlibrary@torontomu.ca or use our Virtual Office Hours.

Ask a Librarian (Live Chat) 

Get quick answers to your research questions through our live chat service. 

• Start a chat session
• View service hours on the Ask a Librarian page 

E-mail Support 

Students may contact the TMU Medical Library by email for assistance with research-related questions: medlibrary@torontomu.ca. 

Research Skills Workshops

Enhance your research skills by attending library workshops. These workshops vary in content, including: 

• Systematic reviews 
• Citation management tools (e.g., Zotero)
• Research Data Management 
• Scholarly Publication 

Explore upcoming sessions and register here. Participants can also earn TMU Libraries Workshop Badges to showcase their learning.

Library Services 

The TMU Medical Library is dedicated to supporting the academic and personal success of our undergraduate medical students through a wide range of services. 

Borrowing & Access 

Make the most of your library privileges: 

• Borrow Books & Media: Access print and audiovisual materials from the library’s collection.
• Streaming Services: Explore streaming video and music platforms available to students.
• Scan and Deliver: Request scanned copies of book chapters or articles directly to your inbox. 
• Interlibrary Loan: Borrow materials from other institutions if it's not in our collection. 

Learn more about borrowing policies and fines on the Borrowing Services page. 

Study Spaces 

The TMU Medical Library provides a quiet and focused environment to support the academic needs of undergraduate medical students. The space includes:

• Individual Study Desks: Accessible options to accommodate diverse learning needs. 
• Quiet Atmosphere: Intended for study, the library maintains a calm setting conducive to focused academic work.
• Physical Book Collection: Students have direct access to print resources aligned with the curriculum. 

This dedicated space is available to all TMU medical students seeking a reliable and supportive environment for learning and research. 

Copyright & Publishing 

Using and sharing materials responsibly is part of academic life, the library can help you learn the following: 

• Copyright Basics
• Using Images & Media
• Publishing Your Work

TMU offers support for students interested in publishing, including open access options and help with licensing.

• Learn more about copyright for students

• Explore publishing support 

This guide has been created by the Toronto Metropolitan University Library and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License unless otherwise marked.