Innovating undergraduate pathology education through public engagement

Abstract

The trends in modern undergraduate medical education focus on a patient-centred approach through problem-based learning over the traditional modular curriculum. Integrating pathology into this style of learning has resulted in the dilution of core scientific principles which may have contributed to reduced understanding and interest in the subject. We aim to innovate pathology education by utilising National Pathology Week which is organised by the Royal College of Pathologists to develop the public engagement model which empowers students to learn pathology by teaching the public. Through this model, we hope to generate a greater interest in pathology at both undergraduate and postgraduate stages of education. We obtained funding from the Royal College of Pathologists to organise National Pathology Week at Exeter Medical School and the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital. We involved 125 undergraduate student volunteers from health-related courses. We designed a curriculum aiming to educate both students and public on current topics such as cancer screening programmes, antibiotic resistance, diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease and the role of pathologists. We hosted 15 pathologists, biomedical scientists and microbiologists to engage with students, share experiences and offer an insight into their careers. Through this project, we interacted with over 500 members of the public and 150 school students. The medical student volunteers developed a range of skills including competent use of microscopes to visualise pathology slides, effective communication with lay audiences to teach pathology and understanding of the clinical application of pathology. We believe the public engagement model of teaching undergraduate students has the potential to develop a greater interest in pathology whilst benefitting the wider community.

Medical education today: all that glitters is not gold

“…Although a traditional curriculum includes a formal pathology course, pathology has been disadvantaged by the fact that students generally have little exposure to pathology or pathologists in the professionally formative clerkship years [100–102]. However, a distinction needs to be made between student perceptions of pathology as a career and pathology as a critically important medical science.…”

“…The task of grounding medical students in principles of pathology, including pathogenesis and pathophysiology of disease, has been made considerably more difficult by the design of the new integrated, modular curriculum. The resultant discontinuance of pathology courses and their replacement by elements of pathology scattered episodically in the pre-clinical years likely has resulted in the dilution of core scientific principles and has contributed to a reduced understanding and interest in pathology [100–102].…”

“…Regarding the first point, reformers contend that reduction and revamping of the basic science content is warranted and can be achieved by elimination of perceived redundancy in the old curriculum. But the reality is that biomedical science, both in terms of curriculum time and emphasis, has been diminished in the new curricula [102, 118, 119]. Further negative pressure on the basic sciences is coming from the initiative to incorporate Health Systems Science into the curriculum with associated need to develop faculty with skills in teaching this material [23–27].…”

“…In spite of the complexities, I contend that rebalancing the position of medical science in the medical educational curriculum has paramount importance [46–50, 102, 119]. This is to be achieved by providing the necessary amount of unencumbered space freed of major competing priorities.…”

The Importance of the Autopsy in Medicine: Perspectives of Pathology Colleagues

“…Pathology educators have utilized a variety of approaches to attempt to put the importance of the autopsy into the consciousness of medical students (undergraduate medical education) and residents and fellows (Graduate Medical Education). 97 – 102 However, this task has been made much more difficult by the trends in modern undergraduate medical educational where the perception of needed curriculum reform has led to an integrated curriculum with a focus on patient-centered approach through which problem-based learning has replaced the traditional subject-based curriculum. 7 , 97 – 99 This has resulted in the discontinuation of pathology courses and their replacement by elements of pathology scattered throughout the preclinical years which, not surprisingly, has contributed to a reduced understanding and interest in pathology.…”