The multidiscipline laboratories (MDLs) of University of Malaya are a significant feature in the Faculty of Medicine. They provide facilities for a number of activities within the teaching curriculum. This is in contrast to the departmental type of laboratories. Being the first in the eastern hemisphere, they are gaining popularity among new medical schools in this part of the world. Since a number of visitors testify to a continued interest in the multidiscipline laboratories, an attempt is made to discuss our experience with these facilities in relation to tthe design, uses, organisation, staff requirement, student usage and space problems.
A system of tutorials preparing students for the Primary F.F.A.R.A.C.S. examination is described. It is suggested that this system would be suitable for teaching students in a peripheral training hospital.
The system of medical education has not changed much over the years. This article discusses the present method of teaching of medical students. Suggestions for change in the methods have been suggested in order to produce better doctors.
Much has been said in various anaesthetic journals about the need to teach medical undergraduates in areas such as basic life support skills and resuscitation. Anaesthesiology as a specialty can contribute significantly in this aspect of teaching. The question is how should it be incorporated into the existing curriculum, given the fact that anaesthesiology constitutes a minor role in the undergraduate medical curriculum? This article attempts to answer this question and proposes the possible integration of anaesthesiology with the other major clinical specialties. This curriculum forms the basis of anaesthesiology curriculum at the Kulliyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
Multiple-choice questions (MCQ) are widely used to evaluate students in the health sciences, including anatomy. Unusual responses in 90 simple MCQ examinations have been identified and classified as to cause, including a number of illustrated examples. About one-quarter of these errors were attributable to the teacher and could have been avoided by a critical analysis of the questions before use. The increasing use of sophisticated formats of the MCQ in medical education indicates that teachers need to analyze their questions more carefully before and after actual tests to minimize errors.
A cross-sectional national survey was conducted amongst a random sample of medical practitioners registered in 1988 with the Malaysian Medical Council with the purpose of determining their educational needs with regards to continuing medical education (CME). A 91.0% response rate was obtained. It was found that more than 70% wanted a programme that would provide them with new practical skills and new knowledge or advances in specific fields. About 2/3 also wanted their intellectual skills in problem-solving to be further developed. Reinforcement of communication skills appears to be of secondary importance. They would also like a programme of CME to help them monitor and improve their diagnostic accuracy, investigative habits, prescribing pattern, skills in interpreting diagnostic tests and management of common illnesses. As for content areas it was found that the problems they have least confidence in managing come mainly from the disciplines of psychiatry, obstetrics and gynaecology, and emergency and critical care. More than 90% preferred self-learning methods with some group-type activities. Based on these needs it was recommended that a programme of CME be developed with orientation towards a practice-based setting, self-directed learning, utilizing problem-solving approaches and focusing on the major content areas identified. In addition, activities such as small-group discussions, clinical rounds and journal clubs should be encouraged to develop into local network group activities to supplement the self-learning and present lectures and talks.
Following revision of the curriculum the effectiveness of a traditional cookbook experiment, used in conjunction with an 'interpretation seminar', was evaluated. Curriculum revision had been predominantly concerned with an avoidance of overloading and provision of self-study periods. The preceding lectures were integrated with the experiment. The learning resulting from the practical experience was assessed using pre- and post-tests. The practical exercise was ineffective and did not facilitate conceptual understanding. Due to the central role of passive teaching methods the students adopted a surface approach to all learning, were teacher dependent and did not make effective use of their private study. Furthermore, owing to a broad-based entry into medical school many students lacked the basic skills essential to the achievement of meaningful learning. Clearly, for effective learning the curriculum and pedagogy must be geared to the background and educational needs of the students.
For about 50 years, clinical pharmacology and therapeutics have been taught in the medical schools via traditional lectures and practical classes. During this time, significant changes have occurred in our understanding of medicine and basic sciences. Also the needs for our community have changed dramatically. The explosion of scientific discoveries, the use of new technologies in disease diagnosis, the availability of a wide range of therapeutic options, and the availability of knowledge to everyone via the Internet have necessitated new approaches for teaching medical and other health professional students. Finding information related to a topic has not become a priority in teaching, what has become more important is to teach undergraduate students how to think in addition to what to think. Applying information learnt and assessing its significance in real life situations has become mandatory. The aims of this paper were: (i) to discuss the model we used in introducing clinical pharmacology and therapeutics teaching in the undergraduate course at the University of Melbourne and the educational principles behind the model, and (ii) to discuss the new tools of assessment used in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum.