Abstract:

Introduction:
Teaching histopathology for medical students in the pre-clinical years can be challenging as these students have the least clinical exposure to understand the complete clinical portrait of the patient compared to medical students in clinical rotations. As medical curriculum is rapidly changing with an integration approach with multiples disciplines, it’s a huge challenge to engage medical students by delivering traditional pathology modules. In this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of clinical scenario based modules of pathology practical sessions compared to online and virtual microscopy guided morphological interpretations in Griffith University.

Methods:
A small group of students enrolled in the second year (last pre-clinical year) of Griffith University Medical Programme in 2015 were invited to complete questionnaires rating the value of their learning experiences with clinical scenario based delivery of pathology practical sessions. In total, 43 students were participated in an anonymous survey. Quality and usefulness of the delivery of these modules were assessed using a 5-scale questionnaire (with 1 being of no value/strongly disagree and 5 being of extreme value/strongly agree). Students were asked to score the effectiveness of pathology sessions with clinical scenarios, online and virtual microscopy sessions.

Results:
Students have highly valued the learning experience of pathology modules with well integrated clinical scenarios (Mean= 4.53/5) compared to morphological interpretations and analysis using virtual microscopy slides (Mean= 4.33/5) and annotated online pathology modules (Mean= 4.11/5). Approximately 14% (6/43) students have not assessed the online modules prior to the survey. Qualitative comments suggested that the integration of virtual microscopy sessions along with clinical scenario based learning during practical sessions would be extremely useful for students’ learning in pathology. Also, many students have reported that they enjoy learning the clinical implications of pathological changes compared to morphological changes alone.

Conclusion:
A multidisciplinary approach using clinical integration in pathology learning compared to morphological interpretations alone using virtual microscopy/online tools has the potential to better engage students to the learning of pathology in the modern medical education curriculum.

Keywords:

histopathology, medicine, clinical integration, online, virtual microscopy.