An Approach to Teaching Histology and Embryology Efficiently in English in China

Abstract

AimsThe aim of this article is to encourage further discussion on different approaches to equip students in a non‐English environment to study medical topics in English by reporting on the initial experience and valuable lessons learned teaching Histology and Embryology in English at the medical school of Shenzhen University of China. MethodsThe course contents of traditional histology and embryology were rearranged into integrated general and system courses, and were taught in English. Various initiatives have been introduced to increase the teaching and learning efficiency. The histology and English teaching staff collaborated to support the teaching of histology and embryology in English. The final students mark was analyzed. Three questionnaires were designed to evaluate from an academic perspective and the student's attitude and perception of the efficacy of methods employed.ResultsThe majority of the students (85%) reported they understood the histology lecture in English and (79%) hoped to continue to learn histology in English. Communicating in a social setting with English speaking people ranked as the primary aim to learn English, achieving a high GPA (grade point average) score second. 98% agreed that it is important to learn histology in English for their professional careers, 67% prefer to be exposed to the topic and terminology in English lessons prior to or at the same time as the histology lesson. Discussing in English a related topic, labeling diagrams, and analyzing the anatomy of medical terms ranked as the top three preferred tasks.ConclusionThe experience gained thus far at Shenzhen Medical School has been very valuable and provides a sound foundation to further explore this important topic (GDJG20141144, 0000233202).