Lost user ID or password
If you've lost your user ID or password, please e-mail Customer Service at help@ci.columbia.edu with your full name and the name of the e-course you are trying to access.
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Login not working
Your user ID and password are case sensitive. They must be typed exactly as you entered them at registration. If your login is still not working, please e-mail Customer Service at If your login is still not working, please e-mail Customer Service at help@ci.columbia.edu with your full name and the name of the e-course you are trying to access. Please note: user ID's and passwords used for e-seminars may not be used for online CME courses.
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Description of an online CME course
An online continuing-medical-education (CME) course allows you to receive CME credits by reviewing the latest advances in a topic area through video overviews, charts, key points, interactive tool, and a real-time post test. Online CME courses are currently available to Columbia faculty for free.
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Length of access to an online CME course
You will have unlimited access until the "Valid for Credit through" date posted on the homepage. You will continue to have access to the e-course content even after taking the post test, however you will not be able to re-take the post test once you have either failed twice or passed and submitted the evaluation.
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Receiving credit for an online CME course
Physicians taking this e-course are eligible to receive CME credits. To earn credit, the post test and evaluation must be completed successfully.
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Watching multimedia tools
To view some of the interactive elements in some e-courses, you will need the free Macromedia Flash Player, version 5 or later. Download the latest version and follow the downloading instructions.
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Printing screens or documents
Use the browser's "File" menu and select "Print." Alternatively, you may use Ctrl-P on the PC and Cmd-P on the Mac.
If the right-hand side of the page is being cut off, on a Mac you can reduce the print size or, on a PC or Mac, change the layout to "Landscape" following the directions below.
On the Mac: Reduce the print size
- Select "Page Setup" option from the "File" menu
- Click the "100%" next to the "Scaling" option. Change the setting to "90%."
On the PC: "Landscape" format
- Select "Print" from the "File" menu.
- If you use Internet Explorer, click on "Layout" and then select "Landscape." If you use Netscape, click on "Properties" and then select "Landscape."
- Click "Print" (Internet Explorer) or "OK" twice (Netscape). These new print settings will remain until you close your browser.
On the Mac: "Landscape" format
- Select "Page Setup" from the "File" menu.
- Select "Landscape."
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Saving documents
To save a PDF, you may use Ctrl-S on the PC and Cmd-S on the Mac. Alternatively, use the browser's File menu to select Save. To save a web page or a transcript, you may use Ctrl-S on the PC and Cmd-S on the Mac.
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Viewing video
In order to view video you will need the free RealPlayer plug-in, version 7 or higher. To get the plug-in, download now, and look in the fine print for the "Free Player" link. Click on the link and follow the downloading instructions. Long download times (up to a half-hour) may be expected on a 56K modem.
It is not necessary or recommended that you purchase the premium versions of the RealPlayer plug-in that are featured on the RealPlayer site.
Macintosh users browsing with Internet Explorer may experience errors when playing RealPlayer files. You may want to use Netscape 4.7 or higher instead.
RealNetworks also has a version of the Real plug-in for OS X. Read
Using Mac OS X for more information.
Some users may be prompted for login. Please enter your e-course user ID and password to hear the audio. RealNetworks is working to fix this bug. You may either enter your e-course user ID and password each time to watch the video or disable the Real browser by following these directions.
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Video bandwidth options
We offer video at two rates in order to accommodate users with
different connection speeds. If you are using a 56K modem, you'll need
to use the low bandwidth selection because the high is too large a stream for
56K modems to handle, causing hang-ups and stuttering.
If you do have a high-speed connection (Cable, DSL, T1) and
you are still having problems playing video on high, then it's possible that
your RealPlayer preferences are set to play only at lower speeds. Upon
installation, set RealPlayer for the type of connection you have and
adjust its preferences accordingly.
If you had RealPlayer installed prior to upgrading your connection, it's possible your preferences do not match your connection speed. To easily change your settings, follow these steps:
- Launch the RealPlayer application.
- From the menu, select "View," and then select "Preferences."
- In the "Preferences" window, select the "Connection" tab.
- From the pull-down menu titled "Normal Bandwidth," select the type
of connection you are using.
- Click "OK," and try replaying the video.
Keep in mind that with streaming video there may be some interference which can cause some dropout. This is not related to connection speed, but rather may be due to high traffic over the internet, and is therefore unavoidable.
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Video captioning setup
In order to view closed captions with video, you must follow these steps:
- Open the RealPlayer program.
- Go to the toolbar and click View. A dropdown menu will appear.
- Select Preferences.
- Select the tab labeled Content.
- In the section Accessibility, click the button labeled Settings.
- Check the box labeled Use accessibility features when available. Make sure the radio button labeled Show captions is selected.
- Click OK in all windows and exit the RealPlayer program.
Note: The steps to video captioning setup may vary slightly across different versions of RealPlayer.
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Listening to audio
In order to hear audio, you will need the free RealPlayer plug-in. To get the plug-in, download now, and look in the fine print for the "Free Player" link. Click on the link and follow the downloading instructions. Long download times (up to half-hour) may be expected on a 56K modem.
Macintosh users browsing with Internet Explorer may experience errors when playing RealPlayer files. You may want to use Netscape 4.7 or higher instead.
Some users may be prompted for login. You may either enter your course user ID and password each time to watch the video or disable the Real browser by following these directions.
If you have the RealPlayer plug-in and still cannot hear audio, make sure the volume of your computer is turned on. If it is and you can't hear anything, make sure you have a sound card and speakers. If you have a Mac, they're both built-in, but if you have a PC check your computer's documentation. Almost any computer built in the past five years has a sound card. If your machine has a sound card but no speakers, you can use a set of headphones from a Walkman or portable CD player—if your computer has a headphone plug-in port. You can find that port on your monitor or the back of your CPU. Note: The headphone jack on the front near CD-ROM drives only works for audio CDs.
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Viewing portable documents (PDFs)
Some excerpts are PDF (portable document format) files that require
the free Adobe Reader plug-in. Download
now and follow the downloading instructions. Please note: the
Full CME Text is a large PDF file and may take a long time to download
on 56K modems.
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Setting cookies
This e-course uses your browser's "cookie" function to set and remember your video preferences. We do not use cookies to gather personal information of any kind. If your cookies are disabled, we cannot set your video preferences and you will see low-bandwidth video by default when you play a video clip. If you wish to enable your cookies, follow the instructions in your browser's Help.
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Making the text larger
There are two ways to change the text size on your monitor: using
options built into your browser, or changing the resolution of your
screen. With the Internet Explorer browser, use the "View" menu to
change text size. (On a PC, you may also need to look in the "Tools"
menu, select "Internet Options-Accessibility," and check "ignore font
sizes specified.") With Netscape, you can make the text larger by
simultaneously holding down the Ctrl and + keys on a PC or by holding
down the Cmd and + keys on a Mac.
To change the resolution on a PC, right-click on the desktop and choose
"Properties." Then, select the "Settings" tab and change the "Screen
Area" slider. To change the resolution on a Mac running OS X, choose
"System Preferences" from the "Apple" menu or the Dock. Select "Displays."
Change the selection under "Resolutions." On a Mac running OS 9, select
"Control Panels > Monitors" from the Apple menu. Change the selection
for the "Resolution."
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Flickering bar at the top or
bottom of video window
If you experience distortion, such as white flickering bars while
viewing video, try the following:
- Close the window in which the clip appears. Locate the RealPlayer
application on your computer. Click on the icon to launch RealPlayer.
In RealPlayer, select "Help" and choose "Check
for Upgrade/Update" in the pull-down menu. A small window
titled "AutoUpdate" will appear and check RealPlayer's
site for updates.
- Once "AutoUpdate" has queried RealPlayer's site, it
should return with a menu of options. Select "Video Drivers
Update" if it is an available option. If it is not an available
option, you have the latest update and should proceed to the section
below.
- Click "OK."
- "AutoUpdate" will download a small file and automatically
install it onto your machine.
- Attempt to play the video that was giving you trouble again.
If it still does not display correctly, please proceed to the
instructions below.
If "AutoUpdate" does not solve your problem:
- Select the "View" menu and choose "Preferences"
from the pull-down menu.
- Click on the "Performance" tab from the list of menu
items.
- In the "Video card compatibility" section, deselect/uncheck
"Use optimized video display."
- Click "OK."
If you have further questions or problems, please e-mail Customer
Service at help@ci.columbia.edu.
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Making a page load faster
Downloading files and viewing pages mostly depends on your modem's
connection speed. You might want to try logging in when fewer people
are online, such as late at night or early in the morning. Also, faster
computers will be able to display and run applications quicker. If
your machine seems to be having problems or you experience delays
running Netscape 4.x, you may want to download Internet Explorer 5.x/6.x
(PC) or 5.x (Mac). As a general rule, Internet Explorer is less memory-intensive
than Netscape.
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Strange colors while playing
sample video
Your display adapter may only be capable of rendering 256 colors,
or, more likely, your display's control panel is set to 256 colors.
If that is the case, set your display's control panel to thousands/millions
of colors (Mac: select "Monitors" or "Monitors &
Sound") or high color/16 bit (PC: select "Display"
or right-click on the desktop and choose "Properties") to
correct the problem. You'll need to quit and relaunch your browser
to reset the colors. If your video hardware is not capable of displaying
more than 256 colors at your chosen resolution, the video will still
work, but it may be oddly colored and/or look slightly fragmented.
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JavaScript error messages
Make sure that you are using one of the required browsers for this
site.
For PC: Netscape 4.7 or above OR Internet Explorer 4 or above. For
Macintosh: Netscape 4.7 or above OR Internet Explorer 5 or above.
If you are still getting this message, make sure JavaScript is enabled.
With Internet Explorer, look in "Internet Options–Security"
in the "Tools" menu and use the "Custom Level" option to
enable active scripting.
With Netscape, look in "Preferences" in the "Edit" Menu and use the
"Advanced" option to enable JavaScript.
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Plug-in error messages
If you cannot view a video, slide show, interactive or PDF, you will
receive a plug-in error. You will need to download the appropriate
plug-in. Please select here to be taken to more detailed help information:
RealPlayer Video, RealPlayer
Audio, Flash Interactive,
Adobe PDF.
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Broken link or site not found
While we make an effort to keep links to external sites up-to-date,
they may change without our knowledge—or be temporarily offline.
If you encounter a problem linking to an external site, please e-mail
Customer Service at help@ci.columbia.edu.
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RealOne Player Plus login prompt
The RealOne is equipped with its own browser which requires your user
ID and password to play certain audio and video files. You may either
enter your e-course user ID and password each time or disable the
RealOne browser by following these directions to change your preferences:
- Start the RealOne Player.
- In the "Media Browser" window, select the menu "Tools"
and the "Preferences" option.
- Set "On Startup Display" pull-down menu to "Player only (no
Media Browser)."
- Select "OK."
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System requirements
For IBM-Compatible PC
Windows 95 or later. Windows XP users, please
read this important information.
64 MB of RAM (128 recommended)
Monitor: 800x600 pixel resolution recommended
Connection: Internet service and 56K modem minimum
Browser: Internet Explorer 4 or above (Internet Explorer 5 strongly
recommended) or Netscape 4.7 or above. Netscape 6 is not recommended,
click here for more information.
Sound Card (if you can hear audio you have a sound card)
Plug-ins: RealPlayer 7 or later, Flash Player 5 or later, Adobe
Reader 5 or later
For Macintosh
MAC OS 8.6 or higher
64 MB of RAM (128 recommended)
Monitor: 800x600 pixels resolution recommended
Connection: Internet service and 56K modem minimum
Browser: Internet Explorer 5 or above or Netscape 4.7 or above.
Netscape 6 is not recommended, click
here for more information.
Sound Card (if you can hear audio you have a sound card)
Plug-ins: RealPlayer 7 or later, Flash Player 5 or later, Adobe
Reader 5 or later
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Using Netscape
The Netscape browser is free. Download
the latest version of Netscape and follow the simple download
instructions.
We don't recommend Netscape 6 as it represents a major departure
from previous Netscape browsers. As such, the web pages may not
display as intended. These problems should not occur with earlier
or later versions.
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Using Internet Explorer
The Internet Explorer browser is free. Download
Internet Explorer 5.x/6.x (PC) or 5.x (Mac) and follow the simple
download instructions. PC users, please be aware if you have a previous
version of Internet Explorer, it will be overwritten if you download
a later version.
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Using AOL
If you use AOL, you will need to use Netscape or Internet Explorer,
not AOL's default, internal browser. Among other things, AOL's browser
has known compatibility problems with Microsoft's new operating
system, Windows XP.
After logging on to AOL, open Netscape or Internet Explorer in order
to use this site. You may need to contact AOL to configure Netscape
or Internet Explorer to work with AOL's proprietary software. Both
Netscape and Explorer are free to download and use. In this scenario,
you are connecting to the Internet with AOL's network but using
Netscape or Internet Explorer to surf this site. You may prefer
to use Internet Explorer 4.x and above because AOL's browser has
the same look and feel. Just make sure you're still logged on to
AOL. Do not log off when using Netscape or Internet Explorer.
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Using
Safari
The Safari browser is a new browser for the Macintosh OS X platform.
The web page you are viewing was not tested to work with this browser.
If you experience problems viewing the site with Safari, please
try a different browser. See the beginning of the "Browser and System
Requirements" section for a list of supported browsers.
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Using Mac OS X
If you are using Mac OS X, you will need the free RealPlayer
from RealNetworks (look in the fine print for the free player link)
in order to watch the video.
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Contact Customer Service
Please direct your comments, questions, and suggestions to Customer Service: help@ci.columbia.edu.
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Providing feedback on this site
We welcome feedback on your experience. To provide comments, e-mail Customer Service at help@ci.columbia.edu.
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