Abstract
BackgroundPathology is a discipline that provides the basis of the understanding of disease in medicine. The past decades have seen a decline in the emphasis laid on pathology teaching in medical schools and outdated pathology curricula have worsened the situation. Student opinions and thoughts are central to the questions of whether and how such curricula should be modernized.MethodsA survey was conducted among 1018 German medical students regarding their preferences in pathology teaching modalities and their satisfaction with lecture-based courses. A qualitative analysis was performed comparing a recently modernized pathology curriculum with a traditional lecture-based curriculum. The differences in modalities of teaching used were investigated.ResultsStudent satisfaction with the lecture-based curriculum positively correlated with student grades (spearman’s correlation coefficient 0.24). Additionally, students with lower grades supported changing the curriculum (spearman’s correlation coefficient 0.47). The majority supported virtual microscopy, autopsies, seminars and podcasts as preferred didactic methods.ConclusionsThe data supports the implementation of a pathology curriculum where tutorials, autopsies and supplementary computer-based learning tools play important roles.
Highlights
Pathology is a discipline that provides the basis of the understanding of disease in medicine
Opinions are being voiced that pathology is not important to medical education [1], while there are those who believe that it is central to the understanding of disease [2] and critical to the development of a fine physician, as is our opinion
The negative opinion of pathology teaching held by some hinges on two key factors: the shift in the role of pathology and changes relating to the modern medical student
Summary
Pathology is a discipline that provides the basis of the understanding of disease in medicine. Over the years pathology has developed from an autopsy and macroscopy based discipline to a technically finessed histological and molecular field. This change has been mirrored in the teaching of this field in medical school. Today medical specializations are frequently selected near the beginning of medical school and students work towards a very specific objective In our experience this has led to an increase in interest for clinical practice in specific medical fields and less for pathology which should provide the cornerstone of the students’ knowledge of disease whatever specialization he/she may choose
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