Abstract:

Integrating basic medical sciences such as pharmacology, into the teaching of medical students is not easy. The material usually provided through lectures and laboratories seems irrelevant to the practice of clinical medicine. The essence of pharmacology can be gleaned from the aphorism: Drug MEETS Body; Body MEETS Drug. The central themes are better learned in the context of clinical problems. Problem-based learning provides one possible avenue. Teachers should realise that medical schools are not the sole repository of wisdom and knowledge nor does learning cease with graduation. Students who learn to seek, synthesise and integrate information will be better prepared for life-long learning.

Keywords: active learning; biochemistry; contextual learning; physiology; therapeutics

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: McMaster University, Dept. of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Room 3N5C, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 3Z5, Canada Tel: (905) 521-2100; E-mail: chari@mcmaster.ca