AMEE Berlin 2002 Programme

2B3 The implementation of problembased
learning (PBL) into a
traditional Radiology clerkship
U Keske, U K M Teichgraber, R Schroder, J Berger, S Venz
and R Felix
Humboldt University, Gr. Hamburger Str. 36, 10115 Berlin,
GERMANY
The aim of the study was to demonstrate the
implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) into
a traditional Radiology clerkship. In addition to the
reformed medical curriculum which is running as a
parallel track, PBL is also applied as a teaching method
in the traditional curriculum. The core radiology
clerkship was taught as a two week block course with
PBL sessions every morning followed by clinical
rotations in radiology. Continuous end of block
evaluation was performed applying a questionnaire.
Based on students’ feedback, changes in the course
structure were made. After four years it is obvious that
radiology is suitable for the use of PBL, because of its
interdisciplinary character. Based on both student and
faculty feedback the group dynamics, student and
faculty satisfaction, course effectiveness and role of
the tutor were rated positively. A set of standard cases
was adapted according to comments from a mandatory
review session at the end of the clerkship. It is
concluded that the introduction of problem-based
learning in radiology had a positive impact on faculty
development. Five faculty members were educated in
becoming PBL tutors and tutored later students of the
reformed medical curriculum of the Charité.
2B4 Medical education innovations in
Dresden, Germany: Reformed
Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus,
Dresden University of Technology
Peter Dieter
Medical Faculty, Carl Gustav Carus, Office of the Dean of
Student Affairs, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden,
GERMANY
The new curriculum in Dresden is based on the
principle of Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The
curriculum is developed in collaboration with Harvard
Medical School. All teachers are professionally trained
in specific courses. The PBL program will integrate
elements of medical ethics, quality management, health
economics and evidence-based medicine. At present,
five multidisciplinary courses have been introduced
into Year 3 and 4. The focal point of each course is a
tutorial with eight participating students and one PBLtrained
tutor. Students and tutors discuss a particular
patient´s case, related to the theme of the course.
Lectures, laboratory courses and “bed-side learning”
complete the curriculum. The Dresden program plans
the integration of further PBL courses into Years 4 to
6. Multidisciplinary courses in basic sciences in Years
1 and 2 will complete the program. Every aspect of the
PBL program is regularly evaluated by an external
institution.
Monday 3 September
- 4.4 -
2B5 Problem-based Learning in
Immunology and Infectious
Disease (IMID): the Dresden
experience
S T Weber*, G Baretton, S Bergmann, J Graeszlear, E Jacobs,
H Kunath, I Nitsche, U Ravens, A Rethwilm and P Rieber
Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Dresden Medical
School, Fiedlerstr. 42, 01307 Dresden, GERMANY
IMID are underrepresented in the curriculum of
German medical students. In the final exam, less than
ten out of more than 500 questions are related to
immunology. IMID are scheduled early in the medical
curriculum when most students have not seen patients
regularly. This situation does not reflect the medical
development where immunology and infectious
diseases are becoming increasingly important. Based
on the principles of problem-oriented learning, we
conducted an eleven-week-multi-disciplinary course in
IMID. The schedule included morning-lectures, two
laboratory sessions and three tutorials (8-10 students)
per week. Eleven cases were presented covering major
issues in the field. Due to the clinical background of
the cases the students were able to learn the principles
in infectious diseases from a “real life story”. Lectures,
tutorials and lab sessions were evaluated permanently
by a questionnaire. Students reported a higher
motivation to learn and to self-study. We think that a
more profound insight into IMID will be a benefit for
their professional careers.
2B6 From case-based reasoning to
problem-based learning
Haim Eshach* and Haim Bitterman
Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, PO Box 9649, Bat
Galim, Haifa 31096, ISRAEL
Many medical schools question whether they should
implement a problem-based learning (PBL)
curriculum. Educators raise some serious questions
regarding the efficiency of PBL and therefore
recommend learning more about the cognitive
processes developed by PBL before broadly
implementing it. In addition, it is important to
determine whether PBL best matches the human
reasoning processes. In this theoretical article we
examine the relationships between the case-based
reasoning (CBR) model and PBL. CBR indicates that
the source of knowledge one uses while solving a new
problem is not only generalized rules or general cases,
but often a memory of stored cases recording specific
prior episodes. CBR allows the reasoner to propose
solutions to problems quickly and to propose solutions
in domains that are not completely understood, such
as medicine. Our analysis reveals strong association
between CBR and PBL. We conclude that PBL is a
successful teaching method that should be encouraged
by medical schools.