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Workshop: Veterinary immunology teaching
Veterinary immunology and immunopathology
Veterinary Immunology and lmmunopathology
ELSEVIER
54 (1996) 385-387
Workshop: Veterinary Immunology Teaching C.J. Brunner Depurtnwnt
o$Pathohiology.
College oj’Veterinuty
Medicine.
Auburn
Uniuersiry,
Auburn,
AL 36849-5519.
USA
The workshop on veterinary immunology teaching dealt with two main issues: the struggle to gain recognition for immunology as a distinct discipline at veterinary schools, and the need to identify the essential immunologic concepts that all veterinary students should master. To begin the workshop, C.J. Brunner presented results of an international survey conducted by Brunner and P.E. Shewen in 1993-1994. Immunologists from 22 schools in the USA and Canada, and 31 schools in other countries, responded to a questionnaire on veterinary immunology instruction. On average, basic immunology consists of 27 hours of lecture time and 11 hours of laboratory time in the veterinary curriculum; 64% of schools offer basic immunology as a distinct course. Clinical immunology typically comprises 14 lecture hours and 7 laboratory hours, offered as a distinct course at less than one-quarter of veterinary schools. The immunology instructors in the US and Canadian schools have a Ph.D. in immunology (90%), and usually hold the D.V.M. (67%). In other countries, 71% of instructors hold a Ph.D. and 55% the D.V.M. or equivalent. Forty percent of instructors are generally dissatisfied with the time and resources available to them to teach veterinary immunology. A recurring theme throughout the ensuing discussion was the desire that immunology be recognized as a distinct discipline in basic and clinical instructional programs. Paradoxically, this emphasis on immunology as a unique entity contrasts with changes underway in many veterinary curricula in Europe and the USA, where traditional disciplinary boundaries are becoming blurred. Participants emphasized that immunology must be shown to be an essential component of practical veterinary medicine. Introducing immunologic concepts in the context of a clinical case scenario, especially in basic courses, helps students appreciate the relevance of material that might otherwise seem abstract. Construction of such cases is difficult and time-consuming, so instructors could help each other by sharing valuable cases. One participant pointed out that clinical problems used for instruction need not be complex, especially for first year students whose attention can often be attracted with a photograph of a sick animal. 0165.2427/96/$15.00 PI/
Copyright 0
SO1 65-2427(96)05670-X
1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Despite the prevalence of rmmunolopiz problems in a typical hospital caseload, veterinary immunology lacks recogmtion as a clinical discipline at most schools. Students think of immunologic phenomena as esoteric because so much emphasis is given to striking but rare examples of the immune bystem gone awry. To illustrate the relevance of immunologic concepts. some immunology instructors recruit clinicians to participate in their courses. Basic immunologists should. in turn, become more involved in clinical instruction. where they can contribute their expertise to discussions of immunologic mechanisms. Most workshop participants considered the content of their veterinary immunology courses to he different from that of graduate courseh. Nevertheless. some expressed concern that they occasionally lecture to veterinary students at a graduate level. The importance of making ;I distinction between material essential to a veterinary education and material that is more appropriate to a cclraduate course was the focus of much discussion. Participants agreed that immunolog) textbooks contain more information than veterinary students need to know. and students have difficulty extracting the important material. The international survey revealed widespread dissatisfaction with veterinary immunology textbooks. Workshop participants surmised that authors have not directed the content of their textbooks to veterinary students. Some immunology instructors use short. simple medical textbooks instead. while others prepare and distribute a set of notes to accompany their lectures. Participants complained that students memorized factual mformation before an examination then quickly forget what they had learned: and students acknowledged that they somehow miss the real meaning and significance of material they have studied. One reason for the growing popularity of’ problem-based learning is its emphasis on problem-solving rather than on memorization. Other factors that contribute to students’ difficulties in immunology courses are the students’ weak background in biochemistry and cell biology. the confusing language of the discipline. and presentation of course topics in an illogical sequence. Determining the order in which topics should be presented ia a familiar problem to immunology instructors. One participant suggested that all topics be mtroduced superficially in the first few sessions. and then the remainder of the c‘oursc he spent coverm, ~1each topic in more detail. While some workshop participants contended that immunology cannot be taught without a laboratory. others argued that laboratories were unnecessary. They agreed. however. that the effectiveness of a laboratory course in immunology probably depends on how much time i\ allotted to it in the curriculum. The critical number of laboratory hours appears to he ;t Z- or j-hour ses\~on per week for 15 weeks. There was widespread agreement amon g workshop participants that veterinary students need to master certain key immunologic principles from the vast body of knowledge available in the field. Immunology mstructors should select those essential items they agree sll veterinary students need to learn: other material that is not critical to success in the profession could be offered in an elective course. Identification of the essential elements would smiplify the task of veterinary immunology instructors, regardless of the teaching method the\ use. One participant warned. however. of the potential drawback 01‘focu\in g on e&tial Immunologic c~oncepts. He said the classical
C.J. Brunner/
Vrtrrinury
Immunology
and Immunoputhology
54 (1996) 385-387
387
approach to veterinary instruction in North America has been to provide breadth and depth in a subject, and, if mechanisms that explain immunologic phenomena were omitted from a course, veterinarians would become technicians. Although no specific conclusions were reached in this workshop, its participants cited a number of problems commonly encountered by veterinary immunology instructors and agreed that more information should be gathered. They recommended that the following materials be collected and shared: (1) veterinary immunology course syllabuses; (2) cases used in case-based instruction; (3) test questions; (4) study questions for students; (5) electronic addresses to improve communication among veterinary immunologists. Completion of these tasks should help immunology instructors answer the question that dominated the 90-minute workshop discussion: How much immunology does a veterinarian really need to know?
Veterinary Immunology and lmmunopathology
ELSEVIER
54 (1996) 385-387
Workshop: Veterinary Immunology Teaching C.J. Brunner Depurtnwnt
o$Pathohiology.
College oj’Veterinuty
Medicine.
Auburn
Uniuersiry,
Auburn,
AL 36849-5519.
USA
The workshop on veterinary immunology teaching dealt with two main issues: the struggle to gain recognition for immunology as a distinct discipline at veterinary schools, and the need to identify the essential immunologic concepts that all veterinary students should master. To begin the workshop, C.J. Brunner presented results of an international survey conducted by Brunner and P.E. Shewen in 1993-1994. Immunologists from 22 schools in the USA and Canada, and 31 schools in other countries, responded to a questionnaire on veterinary immunology instruction. On average, basic immunology consists of 27 hours of lecture time and 11 hours of laboratory time in the veterinary curriculum; 64% of schools offer basic immunology as a distinct course. Clinical immunology typically comprises 14 lecture hours and 7 laboratory hours, offered as a distinct course at less than one-quarter of veterinary schools. The immunology instructors in the US and Canadian schools have a Ph.D. in immunology (90%), and usually hold the D.V.M. (67%). In other countries, 71% of instructors hold a Ph.D. and 55% the D.V.M. or equivalent. Forty percent of instructors are generally dissatisfied with the time and resources available to them to teach veterinary immunology. A recurring theme throughout the ensuing discussion was the desire that immunology be recognized as a distinct discipline in basic and clinical instructional programs. Paradoxically, this emphasis on immunology as a unique entity contrasts with changes underway in many veterinary curricula in Europe and the USA, where traditional disciplinary boundaries are becoming blurred. Participants emphasized that immunology must be shown to be an essential component of practical veterinary medicine. Introducing immunologic concepts in the context of a clinical case scenario, especially in basic courses, helps students appreciate the relevance of material that might otherwise seem abstract. Construction of such cases is difficult and time-consuming, so instructors could help each other by sharing valuable cases. One participant pointed out that clinical problems used for instruction need not be complex, especially for first year students whose attention can often be attracted with a photograph of a sick animal. 0165.2427/96/$15.00 PI/
Copyright 0
SO1 65-2427(96)05670-X
1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Despite the prevalence of rmmunolopiz problems in a typical hospital caseload, veterinary immunology lacks recogmtion as a clinical discipline at most schools. Students think of immunologic phenomena as esoteric because so much emphasis is given to striking but rare examples of the immune bystem gone awry. To illustrate the relevance of immunologic concepts. some immunology instructors recruit clinicians to participate in their courses. Basic immunologists should. in turn, become more involved in clinical instruction. where they can contribute their expertise to discussions of immunologic mechanisms. Most workshop participants considered the content of their veterinary immunology courses to he different from that of graduate courseh. Nevertheless. some expressed concern that they occasionally lecture to veterinary students at a graduate level. The importance of making ;I distinction between material essential to a veterinary education and material that is more appropriate to a cclraduate course was the focus of much discussion. Participants agreed that immunolog) textbooks contain more information than veterinary students need to know. and students have difficulty extracting the important material. The international survey revealed widespread dissatisfaction with veterinary immunology textbooks. Workshop participants surmised that authors have not directed the content of their textbooks to veterinary students. Some immunology instructors use short. simple medical textbooks instead. while others prepare and distribute a set of notes to accompany their lectures. Participants complained that students memorized factual mformation before an examination then quickly forget what they had learned: and students acknowledged that they somehow miss the real meaning and significance of material they have studied. One reason for the growing popularity of’ problem-based learning is its emphasis on problem-solving rather than on memorization. Other factors that contribute to students’ difficulties in immunology courses are the students’ weak background in biochemistry and cell biology. the confusing language of the discipline. and presentation of course topics in an illogical sequence. Determining the order in which topics should be presented ia a familiar problem to immunology instructors. One participant suggested that all topics be mtroduced superficially in the first few sessions. and then the remainder of the c‘oursc he spent coverm, ~1each topic in more detail. While some workshop participants contended that immunology cannot be taught without a laboratory. others argued that laboratories were unnecessary. They agreed. however. that the effectiveness of a laboratory course in immunology probably depends on how much time i\ allotted to it in the curriculum. The critical number of laboratory hours appears to he ;t Z- or j-hour ses\~on per week for 15 weeks. There was widespread agreement amon g workshop participants that veterinary students need to master certain key immunologic principles from the vast body of knowledge available in the field. Immunology mstructors should select those essential items they agree sll veterinary students need to learn: other material that is not critical to success in the profession could be offered in an elective course. Identification of the essential elements would smiplify the task of veterinary immunology instructors, regardless of the teaching method the\ use. One participant warned. however. of the potential drawback 01‘focu\in g on e&tial Immunologic c~oncepts. He said the classical
C.J. Brunner/
Vrtrrinury
Immunology
and Immunoputhology
54 (1996) 385-387
387
approach to veterinary instruction in North America has been to provide breadth and depth in a subject, and, if mechanisms that explain immunologic phenomena were omitted from a course, veterinarians would become technicians. Although no specific conclusions were reached in this workshop, its participants cited a number of problems commonly encountered by veterinary immunology instructors and agreed that more information should be gathered. They recommended that the following materials be collected and shared: (1) veterinary immunology course syllabuses; (2) cases used in case-based instruction; (3) test questions; (4) study questions for students; (5) electronic addresses to improve communication among veterinary immunologists. Completion of these tasks should help immunology instructors answer the question that dominated the 90-minute workshop discussion: How much immunology does a veterinarian really need to know?