Development of a New Clinical Teaching and Training module for fourth year students in Tikrit Medical College (TUCOM) 1992.
Medical Journal of Tikrit University (1997);3: iihttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/282506579_Development_of_a_New_Clinical_Teaching_and_Training_module_for_fourth_year_students_in_Tikrit_Medical_College_%28TUCOM%29_1992
Dear Editor,
Clinical teaching and training in medical colleges face
number of challenges when different related educational activities are compared
to innovative criteria like integration and systematic approach (1).
The traditional discipline-based rotation of the medical students’ groups in
their first year of clinical phase (year4 medical study) is deficient. What is
taught in different disciplines is largely opportunistic and usually based on
unpredicted clinical situation and on patients’ availability and on interest of
the staff concerned. In a planned and systematic teaching and training, all
students cover all core and essential curriculum components. On the other hand,
the newly graduated doctor face during the early years of residency and medical
career ladder immense pressure and stress working as the first contact of
patients in hospitals (compulsory rotational residency) and in Primary Health
Care Centres (compulsory rural service). With innovation in medical education
in recent years, there is a strong belief in Tikrit Medical College that the
integration practiced in the first three years around problems to continue in
clinical phase. Based on the clear job description of graduates for first 3-5
years as first point of contact with patients, the following new curriculum has
been implemented in TUCOM for first batch of student in academic year 1992-1993
(2). We showed in a previous study discernible deficiency in
undergraduate clinical training when compared with duties of newly graduated
doctor (3). When rapidly
surveyed, junior and senior residents working at present in Saddam General
Hospital, Tikrit collectively supported the proposed change. The new curriculum
module is designed around body regions 8-week blocks with weekly discussion
sessions with integrated disciplines around a common “patient complaint” (2).
Three blocks (Abdominal, Chest and Head & Neck complaints) supported by a
fourth block of practice in primary health care were spread across the 32-week
course in forth year. A fifth block on “Trunk and limbs” is assigned with
Orthopedics and Rheumatology in fifth year. The students in a typical week
start with first discussion around a “complaint” e.g. “abdominal pain” and drive their way
during the week to reach diagnosis among the major four disciplines (Internal
Medicine, surgery, Gyn-Obs and pediatrics) where they rotate according to planned
schedule to cover the clinical training related to the complaint. Through
discussion, self learning, lectures, clinical training and laboratory
practicals, students find their way to recognize the disciplines related to the
complaint and how is ultimately managed and treated. We believe this is the
first kind of developed curriculum for undergraduate clinical training fulfilling
the SPICES quality model (1). Learning clinical discipline around
complaints rather than diseases is the most appropriate approach in
undergraduate medical study in the professional life of the new graduate and general
practitioner years before any postgraduate discipline-based training.
G.Y. Mustafa-Alsheikh MD PhD Professor
Mohamad Sharif Abdula MD Consultant
Physician
Abed Allan PhD
Lecturer
Tikrit University College of Medicine, Iraq.
REFERENCES
1)
Harden, R.M., Sowden, Susette and
Dunn, William R. (1984) Educational strategies in curriculum development: the
SPICES model. Medical Education, 18,284-297.
2)
Nabeel D. Sulaiman and Ghanim Y.M. Alsheikh,
(1995) The fully integrated problem based medical curriculum: experience in
Tikrit University College of Medicine. Yemen Medical Journal, 1,78-82.
