Using Clinical Case Studies to Teach Biochemistry in a Doctoral Program: A Descriptive Paper

Marc P. McRae

doi:10.4236/ce.2012.37174

Abstract

Introduction: Biochemistry has traditionally been taught through lectures and rote memorization paying little attention to nurturing key problem solving skills. The literature on clinical case studies utilized in health education indicates that case studies facilitate and promote active learning, help clinical problem solving and encourage the development of critical thinking skills. Methods: This paper describes a method of using clinical case studies to deepen and solidify the students understanding of biochemical facts and concepts as related to clinical medicine. Discussion: Clinical case studies can be a helpful adjunct for teaching the content of human biochemistry that complements the traditional approach of lecture, textbook and laboratory. The learning issues presented to the students required them to reformulate biochemical concepts in their own words, integrate diverse principles and decide what information was important and what was superfluous. Limitations include a small subset of students riding the coat tails of their more ambitious peers, and biochemistry professors not having the confidence to take the students through a clinical case study because they may feel like they do not have sufficient “clinical expertise”. Conclusion: Clinical case studies are a valuable addition to the traditional methods of lecture, textbook reading and laboratory for teaching biochemistry. More importantly clinical case studies help remind students that what they are learning has relevance in the real world, and may help motivate students to pay more attention to the numerous facts faced in biochemistry.

Highlights

Biochemistry has traditionally been taught through lectures and rote memorization paying little attention to nurturing key problem solving skills
The purpose of this paper is to describe an instructional approach to using clinical case studies in a first trimester human biochemistry course
Clinical case studies can be a helpful adjunct for teaching the content of human biochemistry that complements the traditional approach of lecture, textbook and laboratory

Summary

Introduction

Biochemistry is a content-rich systematic course of study, and a foundational course for future topics in basic or clinical sciences. The students were asked to formulate the molecular steps involved in the mechanism and arrange them in a proper sequence which explained the phenomena of the case in terms of underlying disease mechanisms This activity develops the student’s analytic outlook to the problem instead of merely reinforcing his or her talent for fact recall. A chest exam revealed decreased breath sounds in the lower right lobe and a chest X-ray indicated consolidation in the lower right lobe This clinical case study allows for students to investigate proteins biochemical role in both structural (i.e. collagen) and functional (i.e. enzymes) physiology. Upon physical exam it was deduced that he had a right L4/L5 facet sprainstrain, but light touch was decreased in both feet and his urinalysis was positive for glucose This clinical case study allows for students to investigate carbohydrate metabolism and insulin’s role in normal metabolism.

Discussion

Conclusion