Preclinical Medical Curriculum Research Articles

Using problem-based learning to integrate nutrition concepts into a preclinical medical curriculum

Using problem-based learning to integrate nutrition concepts into a preclinical medical curriculum

Reshaping the preclinical medical curriculum: a modest proposal

Reshaping the preclinical medical curriculum: a modest proposal

Introducing nutrition into the pre-clinical curriculum—Caribbean experience

The paper describes how nutrition was incorporated into the crowded pre-clinical medical curriculum in the University of the West Indies which trains doctors for its 14 member states. Close consultation with dietetics, nutrition and clinical departments in Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados ensured the curriculum was relevant to regional health problems and the medical curriculum. The main goals were to: (1) instil positive attitudes towards nutrition in the students; (2) teach nutrition integrated with biochemistry and physiology; and (3) lay the scientific basis for applying nutrition to clinical medicine. The paper outlines which key concepts were taught and the strategies used. The curriculum was evaluated twice, after 5 and 9 years. These surveys found that students in their first clinical year were satisfied with nutrition teaching, especially when it was conducted by specialists. Despite changes in staff and a fall in the number of lecture hours, the goals of the programme were met. Successful co-ordination depended upon flexibility and rapport with staff.

Problem-solving in the pre-clinical curriculum: the uses of computer simulations.

It is now widely recognised that the pre-clinical medical curriculum has emphasised the transmission and acquisition of ‘facts’ at the expense of opportunities for students to learn to apply and use these ‘facts’ in solving problems. Various curricular reforms have been suggested to correct this situation. Computer-based simulations represent a teaching tool that can provide students with the problem-solving experience needed. Systems ranging in complexity from the most simple (cells, single organs) to the most complex (an entire patient) can now be simulated. Simulations may also incorporate didactic interaction, thus providing an additional potent learning tool. These programs may be written to provide a sequence of problem-solving experiences in subjects ranging from the basic medical science to clinical diagnosis, thus contributing to the development and improvement of the students' analytical abilities.