Abstract:

Introduction:
The applications of physics, mainly of medical biophysics, are fundamental for both medical study and medical practice, but students´ opinions and expectations regarding the medical biophysics are often negative. The teacher should try to make physical base of medicine more interesting for students and emphasize its usefulness for medicine. The different tools, including appropriate students’ feedback (e.g. anonymous questionnaire survey), can be used for an enhancement of the teaching process.

Methodology:
We present results of the pedagogical investigation in the 1st year of medical study using anonymous questionnaire survey in acad. year 2018/2019 (112 respondents) realized at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava and compare them with results obtained in acad. year 2010/2011 (92 respondents). Evaluation of students´ statements and attitudes concerning medical biophysics were carried out.

Results:
Analysis of results showed: 31.5 % / 45.5 % of respondents had a negative and very negative attitude to the physics before university study, but 47.8 % / 53.6 % of respondents better understood physical laws in the medical applications after completing the medical biophysics course in acad. years 2010/2011 and 2018/2019, respectively. Respondents wanted to learn physical principles of the biological processes (57.1 % / 52.7 %), physical principles of the medical devices (30.8 % / 33.0 %), applications of physics in medicine (38 % / 58.0 %) and to train an logical thinking (24.2 % / 39.0 %), respectively. They evaluated importance of the medical biophysics for their future careers as medium and large (61.9 % / 71.2 %). Respondents consider medical biophysics as useful to acquire knowledge about physical principles of modern diagnostic and therapeutic methods in medical practice (90.2 % / 73.2 %) and physical principles of physiological processes (46.2 %/ 56.3 %).

Conclusions:
Despite negative attitudes of respondents towards physics and its applications in medicine at the beginning of a medical study, respondents considered the study of medical biophysics as useful and important for their future career. Results of our continuous research could be considered in management of teaching process, preparation of new teaching materials and modification of didactic approaches. The relevance of medical biophysics as a teaching subject in the undergraduate medical curriculum was justified once again. Students´ evaluation of teaching process provides the inevitable feedback information and can help to make teaching of medical biophysics more attractive.

Acknowledgement:
This work was supported by Grant project of MESRS SR 026UK-4/2017.

References:
[1] KRALOVA, E. (2008). Physical education in the professional preparation of future physician at the faculties of medicine. Dissertation Thesis. Nitra : Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 103 p.
[2] BALAZSIOVA, Z. (2014). Level of elementary physical knowledge in health-care professionals may be the reason for innovative teaching of (Bio)physics. New Technologies in Science Education, Kraków : Pedagogical University of Kraków, pp. 38-40, 2014.

Keywords:

Physics, medical biophysics, questionnaire, survey, statements, attitudes.