A couple of self described nerd docs have created a card game that any medical student who spends his weekends playing Magic: The Gathering will appreciate. Healing Blade, as the game is called, involves players representing the forces of pestilence or the spirit of Hippocrates. Through the mythical world of Apothecaries and Lords of Pestilence, apparently you can get quite a bit of relevant learning done about a number of infectious diseases and their treatments.
Choose one of two sides:
-The Apothecaries, Champions of the Healing Blade whose namesakes hearken from real world antibiotics.
-The Lords of Pestilence, Creatures of Disease and manifestations of actual bacterial agents.
As you and your opponent seek domination through corruption and conquest, you must vie not only with brute force, but also with planning, strategy, and most importantly, an astute understanding of microbiology and medical therapeutics.
Healing Blade gives you the unparalleled opportunity to enter a fantasy realm where the rules of combat deeply and accurately reflect the real world’s battles against infectious disease. Reshape the Battlefield Zone to your advantage. At every turn you control the forces and special conditions that can influence the outcome of each encounter. Each Champion has a unique set of gifts and abilities, and can be upgraded to powerful adversaries by way of real-world phenomena such as resistance and synergy. Summon forth living manifestations of diseases, or counter-attack with antibiotics in the form of powerful warriors.
Link: Healing Blade…
More from AMA’s American Medical News: Doctors make game out of learning infection control…