Abstract:

Medical biophysics is included in the 1st semester of medical studies on Medical faculties in Slovakia. There are 2 lecture lessons and 3 practical lessons per week. The course is completed by a final exam.
We repeatedly encounter the problem of students' inability to use the knowledge and skills acquired in high school when solving medically oriented tasks. During practical exercises on biophysics and medical physics, students solve problems in which they have to use their high school knowledge not only in physics but also in geometry.
The aim of our study was to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate how students solved the model medical tasks in which they had to use knowledge of geometry and graphic projection of vectors on the plane:
Task 1. Construction of the heart vector was focused on the projection of vectors onto the plane. There were evaluated determination of started point of projected vector, its length and direction, perpendicular lines and determination of result (length, direction and angle of result vector) Students could achieve a maximum of 9 points for a correct solution.
Task 2. Refraction of a light beam in the eyeball was focused on the refraction of a light beam through curved surfaces. There were evaluated determination of the tangent line at a given point on the interface of two different mediums, perpendicular line to the tangent line, sketch of a refracted beam, determination of refractive angle. Students could have achieved maximally 8 points.
For each incorrect step, the student was deducted 1 point. Methods of descriptive statistics were used for evaluation. The effect of gender on solution was also investigated. Students ‘errors will be descripted.
Task 1: There were evaluated solutions of 46 students (9 men and 37 women)
The average number of points obtained by the students was (7.01 +- 2.40). The men achieved (6.66 +- 2.11) points. The women scored an average of (7.30 +-2.43) points. There were 18 students (3 men and 15 women) who solved task absolutely correct and achieved maximum number of points. The most frequently mistakes were: length of vector (7 students), perpendicular line (6 students), vector direction (5 students).
Task 2: There were evaluated solutions of 30 students (11 men and 19 women)
The average number of points obtained in the second task was (6.27 +- 2.20). The men achieved (6.16 +- 2.24) points. The women scored an average of (6.27 +- 2.20) points. There were 13 students (2 men + 11 women) who solved task absolutely correct and achieved maximum number of points. The most frequency mistakes were: determination the tangent (7 students), perpendicular line (12 students), incorrect determination of refractive plane and/or incorrect refractive angle (6 students).
Based on our results, we assume that it would be appropriate to strengthen cross-curricular relationships between biology and mathematics and biology and physics in secondary schools.
In medical practice, the incorrect determination of the magnitude and direction of the force (in Physical medicine and Rehabilitation), of the electric vector during heart examination, or the incorrect projection of a straight line into a plane during stereoscopic surgery can lead to serious harm to a patient.

Acknowledgement:
Contribution was supported by GP KEGA MESRS of the SR 023UK-4/2021.

Keywords:

Undergraduate medical education, geometry knowledge in medicine, problem solving task in medical education, cross-curricular relationships.