While reminiscing with a former classmate from the University of Vermont, David Iberri, about a wiki in medical school where students shared notes, Plante says a lightbulb went off. "Why don't we do it for clinical trials?" he said.

Traditionally, journal clubs meet on a regular basis to evaluate articles in a specific area of academic literature. For medical students, residents and fellows, involvement in a journal club is a standard part of medical training.

Plante, a Johns Hopkins general internal medicine fellow, worked with Iberri and Manuel Lam, Iberri’s colleague at Stanford University, to start a virtual journal club, where members could participate at their convenience—when and where they wanted.

Using the same software that powers Wikipedia, the trio created Wiki Journal Club. Members consist of doctors, pharmacists, and medical and pharmacy students who write reviews distilling pieces of medical literature into bite-size morsels.

Each entry includes links to the actual article, PubMed entry and PDF. “We also heavily link to the primary literature of criticisms, like letters to the editor, Cochrane reviews and guidelines,” says Plante.

Since its start in 2011, the team reviews an average of four to six new trials per month and now boasts more than 200. In the years that followed the site launch, the trio created apps for Apple and Android.

Sanjay Desai, director of the Osler Medical Residency Training Program, says residents want to learn in brief and in real time. “This adaption of a traditional journal club is great for the current learning environment,” he says. “Trainees need immediately applicable content, which is exactly what Wiki Journal Club provides.”

The website continues to grow in popularity, and in 2015, Plante estimates the site will receive half a million page views. The apps continue to rank among the top medical apps for sale.