Integrating Evolutionary Biology into Medical Education

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Evolutionary Medicine ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Female Reproduction ◽  
Teaching Aids

Clinicians and scientists are increasingly recognising the importance of an evolutionary perspective in studying the aetiology, prevention, and treatment of human disease; the growing prominence of genetics in medicine is further adding to the interest in evolutionary medicine. In spite of this, too few medical students or residents study evolution. This book builds a compelling case for integrating evolutionary biology into undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, as well as its intrinsic value to medicine. Chapter by chapter, the authors – experts in anthropology, biology, ecology, physiology, public health, and various disciplines of medicine – present the rationale for clinically-relevant evolutionary thinking. They achieve this within the broader context of medicine but through the focused lens of maternal and child health, with an emphasis on female reproduction and the early-life biochemical, immunological, and microbial responses influenced by evolution. The tightly woven and accessible narrative illustrates how a medical education that considers evolved traits can deepen our understanding of the complexities of the human body, variability in health, susceptibility to disease, and ultimately help guide treatment, prevention, and public health policy. However, integrating evolutionary biology into medical education continues to face several roadblocks. The medical curriculum is already replete with complex subjects and a long period of training. The addition of an evolutionary perspective to this curriculum would certainly seem daunting, and many medical educators express concern over potential controversy if evolution is introduced into the curriculum of their schools. Medical education urgently needs strategies and teaching aids to lower the barriers to incorporating evolution into medical training. In summary, this call to arms makes a strong case for incorporating evolutionary thinking early in medical training to help guide the types of critical questions physicians ask, or should be asking. It will be of relevance and use to evolutionary biologists, physicians, medical students, and biomedical research scientists.

scholarly journals Integrating evolution into medical education for women’s health care practitioners

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-67
Author(s):  
Michael L Power ◽  
Carrie Snead ◽  
Eda G Reed ◽  
Jay Schulkin
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Evolutionary Medicine ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Female Reproduction ◽  
Women's Health Care

Abstract Evolution is a fundamental principle in biology; however, it has been neglected in medical education. We argue that an evolutionary perspective is especially important for women’s health care providers, as selection will act strongly on reproductive parameters, and the biological costs of female reproduction are generally more resource expensive than for men (e.g. due to gestation and lactation) with greater effects on health and wellbeing. An evolutionary perspective is needed to understand antibiotic resistance, disease and health risks associated with mismatches between our evolved adaptations and current conditions, the importance of the microbiome and the maternal role in how infants acquire and develop their early-life microbiome (vaginal birth, lactation), and the importance of breastmilk as a biochemical signal from mothers to their babies. We present data that obstetrician–gynecologists’ views regarding the inclusion of evolution within their training is generally positive, but many barriers are perceived. Requiring coursework in evolutionary biology with an emphasis on evolutionary medicine prior to enrollment in medical school may be a solution.

Introduction

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Michael L. Power ◽  
Jay Schulkin
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
Evolutionary Medicine ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Evolutionary Thought ◽  
Physician Scientist ◽  
Medicine Today ◽  
Physician Scientists

Evolutionary medicine is an integrative discipline, combining the fields of evolutionary biology, experimental research, and clinical medicine. Contributors to the field of evolutionary medicine today come from many schools of study. Anthropologists, biologists, physiologists, and ecologists work alongside historians of science and physician scientists, all of whom are represented in the present volume. A full integration of evolutionary thought into the education of medical students and seasoned physicians has been voiced by most of the field’s contributors. Incorporating an evolutionary perspective into medicine will most likely not change the daily activity of physicians, but it will help guide the thinking and types of questions a physician-scientist should ask, by adding an evolutionary dimension. Our aim for this volume is to support medical education that teaches evolutionary medicine as a seamless component of medical practice, rather than be considered a separate school of thought.

scholarly journals Rural medicine and ‘home stay’: a medical student’s experience

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Reabetswe Ntshabele ◽  
Rubeshan Perumal ◽  
Nesri Padayatchi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Family Practice ◽  
Medical Practice ◽  
Clinical Training ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Rural Medicine ◽  
Paternalistic Approach

Medical education is evolving from a heavily hierarchical and paternalistic approach to a more developmental and student-centred paradigm. In addition, there has been a greater focus on decentralised medical education, taking medical students closer to the lowest tiers of the healthcare system and allowing for a more immersive experience within the communities of their patients. This paper presents the experience of an enlightening rural experience, in which the benefits of such a model to medical education are explored. Furthermore, it presents the highly personal and developmental journey that decentralised and, in particular, rural medical training can offer. A new concept of a ‘home-stay’ model has now been introduced as part of the rural medicine experience, where students are hosted by a family within the community in which they work. This is a transformative project in which the most fundamental principles of medical training and the art of medical practice can be honed. The convergence of clinical training, public health enlightenment, and family practice are highlighted.

The Anomalous Position of Parasitology in the Medical Curriculum in England

Parasitology ◽  
1924 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-250
Author(s):  
George H. F. Nuttall
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Tropical Medicine ◽  
The Other ◽  
Limited Extent ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Short Courses

Although Parasitology, broadly interpreted, includes the study of parasitic bacteria within its sphere, bacteriology is excluded from consideration here because it is assumed that a knowledge thereof is sufficiently recognised as essential by those who deal with medical education. At any rate bacteriology is more or less adequately taught to medical students and candidates for the Diploma in Public Health, although it receives insufficient consideration in courses leading to the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. On the other hand, parasitology is taught to candidates for the latter diploma to the limited extent that is allowed in the too short courses of instruction that are at present given for the diploma. Medical students in general learn next to nothing of parasitology beyond what they pick up in the course of their preliminary zoological training. I base these statements on personal experience, extending over many years, as teacher and examiner. Similar conclusions to these have been reached by others who are able to form an objective opinion.

scholarly journals Experience of a Final Year Medical Student: Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Era

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (239) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prinsa Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Student ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Bedside Teaching ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Medical Education System

Medical education provides both knowledge and clinical skills to students. Clinical skills program including bedside teaching is considered an irreplaceable part of the undergraduate medical curriculum. COVID-19 pandemic has halted the delivery of effective clinical skills to medical students which has especially affected the final year students. So, we need to find an alternate approach to teach clinical skills to medical students in this era of COVID-19. This public health crisis has also demonstrated the significance of resilience and adaptability in the medical education system and the need to inculcate these values in our generation of medical students. This will help the students to complete their transition from a ‘student’ to a ‘doctor’. This article highlights the experience of a final year medical student in the pre- and post-COVID-19 period, problems faced by final year medical students during this crisis, and effective ways to cope up with them.

scholarly journals OPINIONS OF MEDICAL STUDENTS ABOUT PHASE I ANATOMY EDUCATION: A PRELIMINARY STUDY. Opiniones de los estudiantes de medicina acerca de la Fase I de la enseñanza de Anatomía: Un estudio preliminar

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-33
Author(s):  
Ayla Kurkcuoglu ◽  
Can Pelin ◽  
Ragiba Zagyapan ◽  
Ersin Ogus
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Phase I ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Anatomy Education ◽  
Interactive Education ◽  
Education Material ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Anatomy Knowledge ◽  
De Medicina

Objetivos: La estandarización de la educación médica y programas centrados en la salida se han vuelto más importantes en los últimos años. Sin embargo, todavía no hay consenso sobre el lugar de las ciencias básicas en el mencionado concepto. A pesar que la importancia de la anatomía en la educación médica es  indiscutible, su lugar en el currículo médico todavía se está discutiendo ampliamente. Varios estudios y observaciones se han publicado hasta hoy sobre la educación anatómica básica. La mayoría de ellos reflejan las opiniones de los médicos clínicos o tutores médicos. El número de estudios de evaluación de la educación en anatomía en el pregrado, desde la perspectiva de los estudiantes de medicina, es limitado. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar las opiniones de los estudiantes de medicina en las clases de anatomía. Material y métodos: En este estudio, a 102 estudiantes de medicina que completaron la fase II de la educación en la Universidad de Baskent se les dio un cuestionario con 32 preguntas de tipo Likert preparados por los Departamentos de Anatomía y Medicina de la Educación, entre diciembre de 2012 y mayo de 2013. Las preguntas fueron dadas a los estudiantes en junio, justo antes de terminar el período de educación relacionado. Resultados y Conclusiones: Los estudiantes de medicina enfatizaron que entendían la importancia de la anatomía mucho después de haber terminado la educación de fase I cuando estaban tomando los cursos clínicos y mencionaron que el aporte de sus conocimientos de anatomía básica para su práctica clínica era débil. Los resultados del estudio indicaron que los estudiantes prefieren una educación integrada verticalmente, con orientación clínica e interactiva, y dieron más valor a la práctica de laboratorio en lugar de las conferencias clínicas. Objectives: Standardization of medical education and output-focused core programs has become more important in the recent years. However, still there is no consensus on the place of basic sciences in the aforementioned concept. Even though the importance of anatomy for a qualified medical education is indisputable, its place in medical curriculum is still being widely discussed. Several studies and comments have been published up to date on basic anatomy education. Most of these reflect the opinions of clinical doctors or medical tutors. The number of studies evaluating undergraduate anatomy education from the perspective of medical students is limited. The present study aims to evaluate the opinions of medical students on anatomy classes in medical education. Material and Methods: In this study, 102 medical students who completed phase II education in Baskent University were given a questionnaire containing 32 Likert’s type questions prepared by the Departments of Anatomy and Medical Education between December 2012 and May 2013.The questioner was given to the students in June just before the education of the related term was completed. Results and Conclusion: The medical students emphasized that they understood the importance of anatomy long after they had completed phase I education while they were taking the clinical courses, and they mentioned that the contribution of their basic anatomy knowledge to their clinical practice was weak. The results of the study indicated that students preferred a vertically integrated, clinically oriented and interactive education, and gave more value to laboratory practice rather than the clinical lectures. 

scholarly journals Predicating Attitude Toward Learning Communication Skills in Medical Students of Shahid Beheshti University

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-25
Author(s):  
Maryam Akbarilakeh ◽  
Fahimeh Fargah ◽  
Katatyoun Razjouyan ◽  
Mitra Rahimzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
Convenience Sampling

Background: The ability of communicating with people is of great importance for physicians. Predicting unknown variables like personality traits is one of the important impressive issues in choosing future medical experts in medical training. Regarding this, medical colleges have training programs all around the world. The present study aimed to investigate the attitude toward learning communication skills based on the personality traits of medical students. Materials and Methods: This correlational study was done in 2019 and the participants were medical students who were selected using a convenience sampling method. Zuckerman-Kuhlman personality questionnaire and communication skills attitude scale (CSAS) were used for data collection. CSAS was used to assess positive and negative attitudes. Results: The results showed that only the sociability dimension among the five dimensions of personality had a significant relationship with attitude toward learning communication skills (P=0.018). Moreover, significant relationships of gender (P=0.022), mother’s education level (P=0.049), and residence (P=0.036) with attitude to learning communication skills were found. Conclusion: According to the results, the dimension of demographic characteristics is effective in improving communication skills of medical students. Therefore, it is recommended that it should be considered in medical curriculum development and revision and modifications.

scholarly journals Prevalence of somatic symptoms amongst undergraduate medical students of Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 5106
Author(s):  
Shaikh Arshiya Kaiser Husain ◽  
Anwaya R. Magare ◽  
Purushottam A. Giri ◽  
Vijaykumar S. Jadhav
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Negative Effect

Background: The aim of medical education is to produce competent, physically and mentally strong health professionals, as they are going to be the pillars of the future health care system. Stress is one of the most common and process-oriented obstacles in medical education. It often exerts a negative effect on the academic performance, physical health, and psychological well-being of the students. Dealing with overloaded medical curriculum, competing with peers, being away from home and meeting high expectations imposed by parents and society to excel is among the common stressful transitions at this stage.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out amongst 352 undergraduate medical students of a private medical college in a rural area of Maharashtra during April to October 2019. The structured questionnaire was used to record the data. Collected data was used to assess the severity of mental health issues among medical students.Results: Majority 194 (55.11%) students were in the age of 18 to 20 years followed by 141 (40.06%) were in 21 to 23 years. There were 196 (55.68%) girl students and 156 (44.32%) boys. According to the various categories, 80 (22.73%) of the students had low stress scores, followed by 76 (21.59%) in minimal. A highly significant difference in stress scores was seen between boys and girls, which was more in boys.Conclusions: Study concluded that undergraduate medical students perceive minimal to very high stress presented as various systems that vary with the year of study and gender wise too. There is a further need to look into the various causes of stress.

Technology in Primary and Secondary Medical Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 312-325
Author(s):  
Sarah R. Edmonson
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Cost Control ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Education Technology ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Technological Intervention ◽  
Practicing Physicians

There is an increasing need for cost control and improved outcomes in both primary and secondary medical education. This chapter reviews the characteristics of medical learners, and summarizes shortcomings of traditional medical training that may be amenable to technological intervention. Technologies useful for educating medical students and practicing physicians will be described, along with examples pertaining to each technology. The chapter concludes with a summary of potential barriers to the adoption of medical education technology.

scholarly journals Decolonising ideas of healing in medical education

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amali U Lokugamage ◽  
Tharanika Ahillan ◽  
S D C Pathberiya
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Medical Pluralism ◽  
Cultural Humility ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Complex Needs ◽  
University College ◽  
Generational Trauma ◽  
University College London

The legacy of colonial rule has permeated into all aspects of life and contributed to healthcare inequity. In response to the increased interest in social justice, medical educators are thinking of ways to decolonise education and produce doctors who can meet the complex needs of diverse populations. This paper aims to explore decolonising ideas of healing within medical education following recent events including the University College London Medical School’s Decolonising the Medical Curriculum public engagement event, the Wellcome Collection’s Ayurvedic Man: Encounters with Indian Medicine exhibition and its symposium on Decolonising Health, SOAS University of London’s Applying a Decolonial Lens to Research Structures, Norms and Practices in Higher Education Institutions and University College London Anthropology Department’s Flourishing Diversity Series. We investigate implications of ‘recentring’ displaced indigenous healing systems, medical pluralism and highlight the concept of cultural humility in medical training, which while challenging, may benefit patients. From a global health perspective, climate change debates and associated civil protests around the issues resonate with indigenous ideas of planetary health, which focus on the harmonious interconnection of the planet, the environment and human beings. Finally, we look further at its implications in clinical practice, addressing the background of inequality in healthcare among the BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) populations, intersectionality and an increasing recognition of the role of inter-generational trauma originating from the legacy of slavery. By analysing these theories and conversations that challenge the biomedical view of health, we conclude that encouraging healthcare educators and professionals to adopt a ‘decolonising attitude’ can address the complex power imbalances in health and further improve person-centred care.

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