Background Undergraduate medical curricula often fail to integrate experiential learning methodologies. Thus, a pilot series of interactive pathology lessons was designed and implemented in an attempt to promote experiential learning. Methods Thirty pre-graduate medical students voluntarily participated in the interactive study groups at the First Department of Pathology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School. A questionnaire was designed to investigate the satisfaction of students regarding their participation in pathology study groups and to identify the characteristics that shape students’ perceptions of the foundations of medical education. Descriptive statistics (mean values) were used to describe the students’ evaluations of the pathology study groups, and thematic analysis was conducted to investigate the data collected using open-ended questions. Results Interactions with the professor and the option of co-observing the slides using dual-view optical microscopes and virtual slides were each evaluated as “Excellent” by ≅ 95% of the students. Four overarching themes were identified regarding the core characteristics of medical education according to the students’ perspectives: 1) educational background in medical education, 2) interaction with educators in medical education, 3) educational material in medical education and 4) assessment in medical education. Conclusions The high rates of acceptance of the pathology study groups reflect the desire and need for active learning methodologies to be implemented in modern medical education. Nearly all the students mentioned the need for practical skill acquisition, the integration of theory into practice and ethics in medical education. The success of these optional pathology study groups highlights the need for similar modalities to be incorporated into the main medical education curriculum.

BACKGROUND: Recordings of live streaming e-lessons of pathology at medical school of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece are uploaded to the e-class portfolio of each student enrolled in the course. We measured the number of views each video received and noticed that this number exceeded the number of enrolled students. Our main aim was to investigate the correlation between the upload of an educational video and the views it got so as to determine when the proper time is for professors to e-share or upload an educational video for the students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured the number of views of the recorded e-lessons when all videos were uploaded, with a frequency of 15 days. We used analysis of variances statistical analysis to find the significance of the amount of time each video had been uploaded on the virtual platform of the course. We also applied t-tests to assess the significance of alteration of the number of views related to the amount of time until the examinations. RESULTS: Time was a statistically significant factor in the impact of an educational video. The two-factor analysis without interaction measured P ≃ 0.001, proving the strong correlation between time and the increase of views. As the examination date was approaching, there was a statistically significant increase in the number of views of the videotaped e-lessons. Almost 50% of the views of each of the videos took place in the two-week examination period of the course. CONCLUSIONS: The educational videos that contained the core learning concepts of the pathology course should be uploaded first. The complex learning points of the pathology course must be available at the beginning of the semester. Additionally, recordings of videos covering the complex learning points of the course should be uploaded as an additional tool of asynchronous e-learning for the students who choose to watch their former e-lessons to prepare for the examinations.