Abstract:

Introduction:
In a context of globalization of biomedical knowledge, university teaching must enable students to transform complex scientific evidence into tools applicable to practice and research. In the course of the Master’s Degree in Biomedical Research and Health, taught at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Extremadura, the challenge arises of teaching in a clear and original way the value of nutritional screening in oncology. To this end, an innovative approach is proposed based on the article “Nutritional Status Assessment Using the PG-SGA in Individuals with Colorectal Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy”, which analyzes the high prevalence of malnutrition in colorectal cancer and the usefulness of the PG-SGA as a systematic assessment tool.

Methodology:
The teaching proposal combines critical reading, case-based learning, and interactive simulation. In a first phase, students analyze the article using a guide designed to help them understand the study design, nutritional variables, and associations between treatments (FOLFOX, XELOX, irinotecan) and symptoms. Afterwards, they work with a “virtual patient” constructed from the study’s real data, completing the PG-SGA and comparing their decisions with the published results. Finally, a global contextualization activity is incorporated, in which students examine how tools such as PG-SGA and GLIM are applied in different health systems and what barriers exist for their clinical implementation.

Results:
Applying this approach enables a deep understanding of the study’s findings: 45% of patients required intensive nutritional intervention and only 4% showed no significant risk. Students clearly identify how certain chemotherapy regimens are associated with symptoms that directly affect intake (dysgeusia, nausea, diarrhea, xerostomia), influencing PG-SGA scoring and prognosis. During the practical activities, most are able to correctly stratify nutritional risk and justify evidence-based clinical decisions. The combined use of real data, simulation, and critical discussion promotes the acquisition of methodological competencies and understanding of interdisciplinary nutritional management.

Conclusions:
Transforming a complex scientific article into an interactive teaching experience enables students to integrate research methodology, clinical reasoning, and critical analysis. This strategy, implemented in the Master’s program at the University of Extremadura, strengthens meaningful, globalized learning aligned with the competencies required in current biomedical research. It also fosters understanding of the value of tools such as PG-SGA and GLIM in improving clinical outcomes in oncology. The model is transferable to other courses, promoting more innovative, applied university teaching consistent with international trends in health higher education.

Keywords:

Nutritional Assessment, Oncology Education, PG-SGA, Clinical Simulation, Evidence-Based Teaching.