MyMedR

Teaching of pharmacology in Universiti Malaya and the other medical schools in Malaysia -- a historical perspective

Sim SM

Acta Pharmacol Sin, 2004 Sep;25(9):1209-19.

Traditional pharmacology teaching has focused more on drug instead of therapeutics, such that although pharmacological knowledge is acquired, practical skills in prescribing remain weak. In Malaysia many new medical schools (both public and private) have been set up in the last 12 years due to a change in government policy, resulting in a wide spectrum of medical curricula. Universiti Malaya (UM) being the oldest medical school in Malaysia was deep set in its traditional way of teaching-learning, since its inception in 1962, until a visit from the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom in 1984 triggered off a change of tide. Since then the medical curriculum in UM has undergone two major revisions. The first revised curriculum (1988) aimed to inject more clinical relevance into basic science teaching, through introducing clinical lectures and skills in the paraclinical year. Professional behaviour was also addressed. The second revised curriculum (1998) sought to improve further the integration of knowledge as well as to produce a holistic doctor, viewing the patient as a person instead of a clinical entity. The teaching-learning of pharmacology has gradually moved from factual regurgitation to more clinical reasoning, from lab-based to more patient-oriented approach. As more new medical schools are being set up in Malaysia, exchange of experience in this area of learning will hopefully help us find a happy medium between "the old is best" and "the new is better" type approach so that a pedagogically sound and yet logistically practical curriculum can be found in our local setting, to help produce doctors with good prescribing practice.

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching

Promotion of adolescent reproductive health and healthy living. Malaysia

Adolesc Educ Newsl, 1999 Dec;2(2):10.

PMID: 12158246

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching*

Fulltext Integrating an open-source course management system (Moodle) into the teaching of a first-year medical physiology course: a case study

Seluakumaran K, Jusof FF, Ismail R, Husain R

Adv Physiol Educ, 2011 Dec;35(4):369-77.

PMID: 22139773 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00008.2011

Educators in medical schools around the world are presently experimenting with innovative ways of using web-based learning to supplement the existing teaching and learning process. We have recently used a popular open-source course management system (CMS) called the modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) to construct an online site (DPhysiol) to facilitate our face-to-face teaching of physiology to a group of first-year students in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery program. The integration of the Moodle site into our teaching was assessed using online log activity, student examination marks, and feedback from students. The freely available Moodle platform was simple to use, helped to effectively deliver course materials, and has features that allowed cooperative learning. Students who used the CMS throughout their academic year and commented favorably regarding its use as a complement to the face-to-face classroom sessions. The group of students used the CMS obtained significantly higher scores in the final examination compared with the previous class that did not use the CMS. In addition, there was a significant correlation between student participation and performance in online quizzes and their final examination marks. However, students' overall online usage of the CMS did not correlate with their examination marks. We recommend Moodle as a useful tool for physiology educators who are interested in integrating web-based learning into their existing teaching curriculum.

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

Fulltext Student perceptions regarding the usefulness of explicit discussion of "Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome" taxonomy

Prakash ES, Narayan KA, Sethuraman KR

Adv Physiol Educ, 2010 Sep;34(3):145-9.

PMID: 20826769 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00026.2010

One method of grading responses of the descriptive type is by using Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. The basis of this study was the expectation that if students were oriented to SOLO taxonomy, it would provide them an opportunity to understand some of the factors that teachers consider while grading descriptive responses and possibly develop strategies to improve scores. We first sampled the perceptions of 68 second-year undergraduate medical students doing the Respiratory System course regarding the usefulness of explicit discussion of SOLO taxonomy. Subsequently, in a distinct cohort of 20 second-year medical students doing the Central Nervous System course, we sought to determine whether explicit illustration of SOLO taxonomy combined with some advice on better answering descriptive test questions (to an experimental group) resulted in better student scores in a continuous assessment test compared with providing advice for better answering test questions but without any reference to SOLO taxonomy (the control group). Student ratings of the clarity of the presentation on SOLO taxonomy appeared satisfactory to the authors, as was student understanding of our presentation. The majority of participants indicated that knowledge of SOLO taxonomy would help them study and prepare better answers for questions of the descriptive type. Although scores in the experimental and control group were comparable, this experience nonetheless provided us with the motivation to orient students to SOLO taxonomy early on in the medical program and further research factors that affect students' development of strategies based on knowledge of SOLO taxonomy.

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching*

Fulltext Stimulating student interest in physiology: the intermedical school physiology quiz

Cheng HM

Adv Physiol Educ, 2010 Mar;34(1):20-1.

PMID: 20237230 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00096.2009

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

Fulltext Modeling the anatomy and function of the pelvic diaphragm and perineal body using a "string model"

B SN, Rodenbaugh DW

Adv Physiol Educ, 2008 Jun;32(2):169-70.

PMID: 18539862 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00106.2007

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

Fulltext Role-playing lecturing: a method for teaching neuroscience to medical students

Kumar RS, Narayanan SN

Adv Physiol Educ, 2008 Dec;32(4):329-31.

PMID: 19047513 DOI: 10.1152/advan.90105.2008

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching*

Fulltext Physongogy

Cheng HM

Adv Physiol Educ, 2008 Dec;32(4):303.

PMID: 19047507 DOI: 10.1152/advan.90110.2008

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching*

The rope method: a novel method of teaching rotation of the midgut

Nayak SB, Kramer V

Adv Physiol Educ, 2007 Jun;31(2):238-9.

PMID: 17562918

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

The ''perfect teacher'' and the story of his ''zero defects'' project

Prakash ES

Adv Physiol Educ, 2007 Dec;31(4):373.

PMID: 18057415

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods

Peer-guided cooperative learning enhances the performance of refresher students

Torke S, Abraham RR, Ramnarayan K, Upadhya S

Adv Physiol Educ, 2007 Mar;31(1):118.

PMID: 17327594

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

The broken lecture: an innovative method of teaching

Nayak SB

Adv Physiol Educ, 2006 Mar;30(1):48.

PMID: 16481611

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

The blanket method: a novel method of teaching peritoneal relations of female reproductive organs

Nayak S

Adv Physiol Educ, 2006 Jun;30(2):95-6.

PMID: 16709742

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

The rapid-response: a break during lecture

Rao M

Adv Physiol Educ, 2006 Jun;30(2):95.

PMID: 16709743

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

Clinically oriented physiology teaching: strategy for developing critical-thinking skills in undergraduate medical students

Abraham RR, Upadhya S, Torke S, Ramnarayan K

Adv Physiol Educ, 2004 Dec;28(1-4):102-4.

PMID: 15319191

Medicine is an applied science, interpreting evidence and applying it to real life by using clinical reasoning skills and experience. COPT (clinically oriented physiology teaching) was incorporated in physiology instruction aiming to relate the study of physiology to real-life problems, to generate enthusiasm and motivation for learning, and to demonstrate the vocational relevance of physiology among students by integrating clinical experience with teaching. COPT consisted of two elements: 1) critical-thinking questions (CTQ) and 2) clinical case studies. After a few topics were taught, CTQ and case studies were given as an assignment. Answers were discussed in the next class. Two exams, each of which contained CTQ and recall questions, were conducted, one before (exam 1) and one after (exam 2) the implementation of COPT. Analysis of student performance in the examinations revealed that the students did better in exam 2 (P < 0.0001). Feedback from students indicated that this method was useful and challenging.

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

Self-directed learning

Abraham RR, Upadhya S, Ramnarayan K

Adv Physiol Educ, 2005 Jun;29(2):135-6.

PMID: 15905163

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods

Blunder Lecture--an innovative method of teaching

Satheesha NB, Somayaji SN, Ramnarayan K

Adv Physiol Educ, 2005 Jun;29(2):130-1.

PMID: 15905160

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching/methods*

Fulltext Using an integrated teaching approach to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes in a preclinical medical curriculum in India

Vashe A, Devi V, Rao R, Abraham RR, Pallath V, Umakanth S

Adv Physiol Educ, 2019 Dec 01;43(4):522-528.

PMID: 31642706 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00067.2019

Today most education institutions around the world have adopted the philosophy of outcome-based education. The emphasis in outcome-based education is achievement of outcomes; hence the curriculum should be designed in a way that it includes the components targeted specifically at achieving these outcomes. A discipline-based approach results in fragmentation of learning and lack of clinical applicability. Integrated teaching could be a solution to achieve required outcomes in a holistic way. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate an integrated teaching module. Temporal coordination of the basic sciences, along with correlation of learned topics to clinical settings, was done in the first year of the undergraduate medical program. The module was evaluated by obtaining qualitative and quantitative feedback from students. Student assessment was conducted with a test that had case vignettes and multiple-choice questions. In addition, students' change in learning approaches and self-directed learning readiness were collected. Students' perception regarding the educational environment was also obtained. Analysis of the data showed positive feedback from the students regarding the integrated teaching. Students' average score in the test was 86%. There was a significant increase in the scores for the deep approach and self-directed learning readiness in the posttest compared with the pretest. Moreover, students were found to be satisfied with the educational environment. Evaluation of integrated teaching revealed that it was well accepted by the students. Moreover, it facilitated the achievement of the students' outcomes.

Matched MeSH terms: Teaching*

Cost Analysis of Operating an Anatomic Pathology Laboratory in a Middle-Income Country

Cheah PL, Looi LM, Horton S

Am J Clin Pathol, 2017 12 20;149(1):1-7.

PMID: 29267843 DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqx088

Objective: To examine the cost of operating an anatomic pathology laboratory in a teaching hospital in Malaysia. Once the cost is determined, compare it with the costs of operating other laboratories in the same hospital, and operating anatomic pathology laboratories in other countries.

Methods: Cost and workload data were obtained from hospital records for 2015. Time allocation of staff between laboratory testing and other activities was determined using assumptions from published workload studies.

Results: The laboratory received 20,093 cases for testing in 2015, and total expenditures were US $1.20 million, ie, $61.97 per case. The anatomic pathology laboratory accounted for 5.2% of the laboratory budget at the hospital, compared to 64.3% for the clinical laboratory and 30.5% for the microbiology laboratory. We provide comparisons to a similar laboratory in the United States.

Conclusions: Anatomic pathology is more costly than other hospital laboratories due to the labor-intensive work, but is essential, particularly for cancer diagnoses and treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Hospitals, Teaching/economics

Comparison of antimicrobial resistance in neonatal and adult intensive care units in a tertiary teaching hospital

Ariffin N, Hasan H, Ramli N, Ibrahim NR, Taib F, Rahman AA, et al.

Am J Infect Control, 2012 Aug;40(6):572-5.

PMID: 22854380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2012.02.032

Intrahospital variations in antimicrobial profiles may be related to many factors. This study compared causative agents of nosocomial bloodstream infections between a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that adopted a ward-tailored antibiotic policy and adult intensive care units (ICUs). Data on organisms from blood cultures obtained from the respective wards between 2005 and 2009 were analyzed. Compared with the adult ICUs, the NICU had a higher frequency of Enterobacteriacae and lower frequencies of typical hospital-acquired pathogens (eg, Klebsiella pneumoniae, 17.4% vs 10.0% [P < .001]; Acinetobacter baumannii, 3.9% vs 11.6% [P < .001]). Antibiotic resistance of gram-negative organisms was also significantly lower in the NICU, including resistance to imipenem (5.7% vs 32.1%; P < .001), amikacin (8.8% vs 30.3%), and ceftriaxone (36.1% vs 74.6%; P < .001). This could possibly be due to the ward-tailored antibiotic policy adopted by the NICU but not by the other ICUs.

Matched MeSH terms: Hospitals, Teaching

Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 364 in total