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Engaging medical students in pathology
ABSTRACTS
BLENDED LEARNING Diane Kenwright University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand To engage the interest of medical students, pathology must be presented as part of the clinical care of a patient, not as an academic discipline in isolation. There are several solutions to this, and the preferred solution should be adapted to the specific medical school in which it is being delivered. One solution, used in University of Otago, Wellington, combines on-line learning with face to face teaching (blended learning) and embedding the material within a clinical block. Another frame shift that is occurring is the concept that students should be helped to learn pathology rather than taught it. The teacher changes from a deliverer of knowledge to a facilitator of learning, and by doing this opens the door to many more modes of learning, including e-learning, problem based learning and distance learning. By blending these strategies with face to face learning, students will become enthusiastic about learning pathology that applies to real situations and informs their everyday clinical experiences. CONTEXT, RESOURCES AND INTEGRATION: THREE REASONS FOR STUDENTS TO LOVE PATHOLOGY Rakesh K. Kumar Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia Reform of curricula in Australian medical schools has changed the focus in the early years, so that teaching of foundation disciplines emphasises relevance to human health. This is not so much a challenge as an opportunity for pathology, which is unique among these disciplines in being at the heart of modern medical practice. Providing a context for learning pathology, either in terms of an individual clinical problem or a population health issue, is crucial to making the content interesting and engaging for students. In turn, this enables integration of the teaching of other foundation disciplines with pathology, which is mutually advantageous. This presentation will illustrate some approaches that have successfully been implemented at UNSW to achieve these aims. It will also demonstrate the use of virtual microscopy and other digital learning materials, delivered online in ways that are easy to navigate, interactive and provide formative feedback. Rich resources such as these can help to make pathology attractive to the current generation of technology-savvy medical students. ENGAGING MEDICAL STUDENTS IN PATHOLOGY C. A. McLean Department of Anatomical Pathology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, and Pathology Board, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia Pathology is central to the medical curriculum for Monash University. Year 3 pathology is learnt through a 26 case-based online series with weekly tutorials. Additional resources developed include a video e-path series, pathology podcasts, an online series on how to interpret pathology reports, a pathology discussion board and an online series on macroscopic interpretation of specimens. Year 3 MBBS is also taught across undergraduates, postgraduates and a Malaysian campus. The main focus of the course is the online series in which students access and answer a series of related multiple choice and written
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questions for which they receive immediate formative assessment. Across all sites (469 students) 388 students completed >90% of cases, 59 students completed 80–90%, and 22 students completed <80%. On analysis 96.7% of students thought the series allowed them to see the interrelation between pathology and clinical practice, >90% agreed that the cases engaged them in the learning of pathology, that the photos were a helpful visual stimulus to learning and that the cases were intellectually challenging. The tutorial system with small classes is much preferred over lectures as a mode of teaching 10:1. The podcast series was developed to allow for a 7-minute summary of major topics. 100% agreed they were a valuable brief overview. The e-path video series shows macroscopic specimens with a discussion on various pathologies. Greater than 90% agreed (mostly strongly agreed) that e-path was an excellent additional resource, clear and constructive. All teaching modalities are regularly monitored. Pathology can be very engaging and can be developed to appeal to a wide range of medical students. THE WHAT, WHY AND HOW OF INSPIRING LEARNING IN PATHOLOGY FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS Jane E. Dahlstrom Department of Anatomical Pathology, ACT Pathology, The Canberra Hospital, Woden, and ANU Medical School, ACT, Australia There are many elements to inspiring learning in pathology for medical students. The following approach has been useful to me: Have a curriculum that is clinically relevant, up to date and aligns with other components of the course so that students see how pathology contributes to the practice of medicine and care of their future patients. Clearly articulate the aims and objectives of the course to students and staff and align this with assessment. Imagine learning from the students’ perspective. Provide a mixture of modalities/formats for learning—students learn in different ways (apart from lectures, use small group tutorials in a question and answer format with specimens and models, enable students to visit a pathology laboratory, teach in a multidisciplinary setting, use computer assisted learning and utilise story telling where possible). Employ staff who enjoy teaching students and are themselves inspired by pathology. Teachers should be good role models. Give staff the opportunity to attend courses/workshops to better understand the science behind education. Observe colleagues who you see as aspiring teachers and analyse what are the elements to their success. Ensure students and staff have a regular opportunity to provide feedback to enable continuous improvement of the course. INSPIRING MEDICAL STUDENTS TO LOVE PATHOLOGY: THE VALUE OF PATHOLOGY MUSEUMS IN TEACHING PATHOLOGY Sunil R. Lakhani The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, School of Medicine and Pathology Queensland, The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia Pathology is the study of disease and hence forms the core science of medical practice. The basic philosophy we follow is that in order to gain a true understanding of disease, the student must undertake
Copyright © Royal College of pathologists of Australasia. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
BLENDED LEARNING Diane Kenwright University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand To engage the interest of medical students, pathology must be presented as part of the clinical care of a patient, not as an academic discipline in isolation. There are several solutions to this, and the preferred solution should be adapted to the specific medical school in which it is being delivered. One solution, used in University of Otago, Wellington, combines on-line learning with face to face teaching (blended learning) and embedding the material within a clinical block. Another frame shift that is occurring is the concept that students should be helped to learn pathology rather than taught it. The teacher changes from a deliverer of knowledge to a facilitator of learning, and by doing this opens the door to many more modes of learning, including e-learning, problem based learning and distance learning. By blending these strategies with face to face learning, students will become enthusiastic about learning pathology that applies to real situations and informs their everyday clinical experiences. CONTEXT, RESOURCES AND INTEGRATION: THREE REASONS FOR STUDENTS TO LOVE PATHOLOGY Rakesh K. Kumar Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia Reform of curricula in Australian medical schools has changed the focus in the early years, so that teaching of foundation disciplines emphasises relevance to human health. This is not so much a challenge as an opportunity for pathology, which is unique among these disciplines in being at the heart of modern medical practice. Providing a context for learning pathology, either in terms of an individual clinical problem or a population health issue, is crucial to making the content interesting and engaging for students. In turn, this enables integration of the teaching of other foundation disciplines with pathology, which is mutually advantageous. This presentation will illustrate some approaches that have successfully been implemented at UNSW to achieve these aims. It will also demonstrate the use of virtual microscopy and other digital learning materials, delivered online in ways that are easy to navigate, interactive and provide formative feedback. Rich resources such as these can help to make pathology attractive to the current generation of technology-savvy medical students. ENGAGING MEDICAL STUDENTS IN PATHOLOGY C. A. McLean Department of Anatomical Pathology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, and Pathology Board, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia Pathology is central to the medical curriculum for Monash University. Year 3 pathology is learnt through a 26 case-based online series with weekly tutorials. Additional resources developed include a video e-path series, pathology podcasts, an online series on how to interpret pathology reports, a pathology discussion board and an online series on macroscopic interpretation of specimens. Year 3 MBBS is also taught across undergraduates, postgraduates and a Malaysian campus. The main focus of the course is the online series in which students access and answer a series of related multiple choice and written
S5
questions for which they receive immediate formative assessment. Across all sites (469 students) 388 students completed >90% of cases, 59 students completed 80–90%, and 22 students completed <80%. On analysis 96.7% of students thought the series allowed them to see the interrelation between pathology and clinical practice, >90% agreed that the cases engaged them in the learning of pathology, that the photos were a helpful visual stimulus to learning and that the cases were intellectually challenging. The tutorial system with small classes is much preferred over lectures as a mode of teaching 10:1. The podcast series was developed to allow for a 7-minute summary of major topics. 100% agreed they were a valuable brief overview. The e-path video series shows macroscopic specimens with a discussion on various pathologies. Greater than 90% agreed (mostly strongly agreed) that e-path was an excellent additional resource, clear and constructive. All teaching modalities are regularly monitored. Pathology can be very engaging and can be developed to appeal to a wide range of medical students. THE WHAT, WHY AND HOW OF INSPIRING LEARNING IN PATHOLOGY FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS Jane E. Dahlstrom Department of Anatomical Pathology, ACT Pathology, The Canberra Hospital, Woden, and ANU Medical School, ACT, Australia There are many elements to inspiring learning in pathology for medical students. The following approach has been useful to me: Have a curriculum that is clinically relevant, up to date and aligns with other components of the course so that students see how pathology contributes to the practice of medicine and care of their future patients. Clearly articulate the aims and objectives of the course to students and staff and align this with assessment. Imagine learning from the students’ perspective. Provide a mixture of modalities/formats for learning—students learn in different ways (apart from lectures, use small group tutorials in a question and answer format with specimens and models, enable students to visit a pathology laboratory, teach in a multidisciplinary setting, use computer assisted learning and utilise story telling where possible). Employ staff who enjoy teaching students and are themselves inspired by pathology. Teachers should be good role models. Give staff the opportunity to attend courses/workshops to better understand the science behind education. Observe colleagues who you see as aspiring teachers and analyse what are the elements to their success. Ensure students and staff have a regular opportunity to provide feedback to enable continuous improvement of the course. INSPIRING MEDICAL STUDENTS TO LOVE PATHOLOGY: THE VALUE OF PATHOLOGY MUSEUMS IN TEACHING PATHOLOGY Sunil R. Lakhani The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, School of Medicine and Pathology Queensland, The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia Pathology is the study of disease and hence forms the core science of medical practice. The basic philosophy we follow is that in order to gain a true understanding of disease, the student must undertake
Copyright © Royal College of pathologists of Australasia. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.