Teaching Autonomic Cardiovascular Pharmacology to Medical Students: An Innovative Worksheet Approach.

Christopher Cooley,Mary Jo Trout

doi:10.15694/mep.2021.000065.1

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Introduction: Autonomic (ANS) pharmacology is a fundamental part of any medical education curriculum and presents unique learning challenges. Students at a US allopathic medical school created a worksheet as a novel approach to improving student learning of and confidence with cardiovascular (CV) ANS pharmacology during the pre-clinical curriculum. Methods: The student who created the cardiovascular ANS worksheet introduced it as a supplemental learning tool to the class of 2023 in their first semester of the first year in a foundational biomedical science course. The worksheet allows students to draw changes in heart rate and blood pressure when ANS drugs are administered individually and in combination. A self-assessment tool was also created to provide students immediate feedback on their learning following the completion of the worksheet. Voluntary surveys evaluated amount of usage, confidence with, and usefulness of the worksheet in learning the topic. Course exam results of students who used the tool were compared with all students in the previous year's class (control). Results: More than half the class participated in using the worksheet, self-assessments, and the surveys. Not only did self-confidence with the topic significantly increase but so did their performance on ANS-relevant exam questions when comparing those who used the worksheet with the previous year's class. Conclusions: An innovative worksheet with self-assessment tool for learning CV ANS pharmacology holds promise to enhance confidence with this topic as well as improve learning outcomes as measured by course exams.

Highlights

Autonomic (ANS) pharmacology is a fundamental part of any medical education curriculum and presents unique learning challenges
Integrating Significant Learning into a Curriculum At Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine (BSOM), autonomic pharmacology is incorporated in several phases throughout the Foundations curriculum in the interest of spaced learning, long-term potentiation, and improved retrieval
Student preparation for the three ANS Pharmacology days consisted of an ANS introductory video lecture, ANS anatomy video lectures, three peer instructions, and relevant readings from two physiology textbooks and a pharmacology textbook (Costanzo, 2018; Koeppen and Stanton, 2018; Katzung, 2018; Trout, Borges and Koles, 2014; Dean Parmelee et al, 2020)

Summary

Introduction

Autonomic (ANS) pharmacology is a fundamental part of any medical education curriculum and presents unique learning challenges. Students at a US allopathic medical school created a worksheet as a novel approach to improving student learning of and confidence with cardiovascular (CV) ANS pharmacology during the pre-clinical curriculum. When the knowledge is matched with a patient experience, significant learning can occur (Hurtubise and Roman, 2014) Didactic methods such as worksheets, flash cards, and games are a vital tool that promote critical thinking skills, increases student engagement, boosts confidence and enjoyment, and allows for a deeper understanding of concepts which are instrumental throughout a physicians’ career (Hedrick and Young, 2008; Shiroma, Massa and Alarcon, 2011; Beylefeld and Struwig, 2007; Howard, Collins and DiCarlo, 2002; O'Leary et al, 2005). By promoting self-directed and active engagement, students will be better equipped for lifelong learning as physicians (Hurtubise and Roman, 2014)

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