TEACHING PHARMACOLOGY IN BRASIL

Roberto Soares de Moura

Department of Pharmacology

State University of Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

TEACHING PHARMACOLOGY TO MEDICAL STUDENTS

WHEN PLANNING A COURSE OF PHARMACOLOGY TO MEDICAL STUDENTS WE HAVE TO CONSIDER SPECIALLY THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

1) WHAT EXPECTATIONS THE STUDENT HAVE

2) WHAT SHOULD WE TEACH

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

4) HOW ARE WE GOING TO EVALUATE THE LEVEL OF STUDENT LEARNING

5) WHEN ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

1) STUDENTS EXPECTATIONS

•AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE THE STUDENTS ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT AT THE END OF THE COURSE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW ADEQUATELY THE RIGHT DRUG TO TREAT A PARTICULAR DISEASE.

1) STUDENTS EXPECTATIONS

• AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE THE STUDENTS ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT AT THE END OF THE COURSE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW ADEQUATELY THE RIGHT DRUG TO TREAT A PARTICULAR DISEASE.

• WE HAVE TO STRESS TO THE STUDENTS, THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING AS A CONTINOUS PROCESS THAT DOES NOT END AFTER THE FINISH OF THE FORMAL PHARMACOLOGICAL COURSE.

• THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE STUDENTS UP TO DATE WITH NEW ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY.

2) WHAT SHOULD WE TEACH

WE SHOULD STRESS TO THE STUDENTS THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE TREATMENT OF ANY DISEASE IS BASED IN PHARMACOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE.

2) WHAT SHOULD WE TEACH

GOODMAN & GILMAN

THE PHARMACOLOGICAL BASIS OF THERAPEUTICS (IMPOSSIBLE TO TEACH ALL )

WE SHOULD STRESS TO THE STUDENTS THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE TREATMENT OF ANY DISEASE IS BASED IN PHARMACOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE.

2) WHAT SHOULD WE TEACH

GOODMAN & GILMAN

THE PHARMACOLOGICAL BASIS OF THERAPEUTICS (IMPOSSIBLE TO TEACH ALL )

WE SHOULD STRESS TO THE STUDENTS THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE TREATMENT OF ANY DISEASE IS BASED IN PHARMACOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE.

PHARMACOKINETICS

FEW GROUPS OF DRUGS:ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS; ANTIDIABETIC DRUGS ETC.

2) WHAT SHOULD WE TEACH

GOODMAN & GILMAN

THE PHARMACOLOGICAL BASIS OF THERAPEUTICS (IMPOSSIBLE TO TEACH ALL )

MOTIVATION

THE ROLE OF THE TEACHING IS TO MOTIVATE THE STUDENT TO STUDY

INTERFACE: PHARMACOLOGY / PATIENT

PHARMACOKINETICS

FEW GROUPS OF DRUGS:

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS; ANTIDIABETIC DRUGS ETC.

WE SHOULD STRESS TO THE STUDENTS THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE TREATMENT OF ANY DISEASE IS BASED IN PHARMACOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE.

WE HAVE TO STRESS THAT THE STUDENTS SHOULD LEARN BY THEMSELVES.

2) WHAT SHOULD WE TEACHWE SHOULD STRESS TO THE STUDENTS THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE TREATMENT OF ANY DISEASE IS BASED IN PHARMACOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE.

GOODMAN & GILMAN

THE PHARMACOLOGICAL BASIS OF THERAPEUTICS (IMPOSSIBLE TO TEACH ALL )

MOTIVATION

THE ROLE OF THE TEACHING IS TO MOTIVATE THE STUDENT TO STUDY

INTERFACE: PHARMACOLOGY / PATIENT

PHARMACOKINETICS

FEW GROUPS OF DRUGS:

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS; ANTIDIABETIC DRUGS ETC.

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.1) FORMAL LECTURES

3.2) USE OF LIVE ANIMALS IN TEACHING

LABORATORIES

3.3) SEMINARS

3.4) CLINICAL CASE

3.5) PANELS

3.6) COMPUTER SIMULATIONS

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.1) FORMAL LECTURES

( TWO PER WEEK )

DISEASE AS THE REASON FOR THE LECTURE ( ALWAYS CONNECTING PATHOLOGY AND DRUGS )

PHARMACOLOGY OF ASTHMA

LECTURE TO THE STUDENT NOT TO THE TEACHER

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.2) USE OF LIVE ANIMALS IN TEACHING LABORATORIES

ALMOST ABOLISHED ( WHAT I REGRET !!!!! )

REASONS:

• LAW RESTRICTIONS

• THEY ARE LONG TIME CONSUMING

• THE NEW TUTORS ARE NOT INTERESTED

• SOME STUDENTS CAN NOT STAND IT ( DOGS, CATS ) [E.T. !!!!!]

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.3) SEMINARS

( ONE EVERY TWO WEEKS )

BASED IN A LIST OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE SUBJECT OF THE LECTURE.

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.3) SEMINARS( ONE EVERY TWO WEEKS )

BASED IN A LIST OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE SUBJECT OF THE LECTURE.

THE QUESTIONS OF THE SEMINARS SHOULD, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, BE RELATED TO THE UTILITY OF A PARTICULAR DRUG IN THE TREATMENT OF A DISEASE

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.3) SEMINARS( ONE EVERY TWO WEEKS )

BASED IN A LIST OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE SUBJECT OF THE LECTURE.

THE QUESTIONS OF THE SEMINARS SHOULD, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, BE RELATED TO THE UTILITY OF A PARTICULAR DRUG IN THE TREATMENT OF A DISEASE.

THE STUDENTS HAVE TO DISCUSS AMONG THEM, THE QUESTIONS UNDER A SUPERVISION OF A TUTOR.

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.3) SEMINARS( ONE EVERY TWO WEEKS )

BASED IN A LIST OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE SUBJECT OF THE LECTURE.

THE QUESTIONS OF THE SEMINARS SHOULD, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, BE RELATED TO THE UTILITY OF A PARTICULAR DRUG IN THE TREATMENT OF A DISEASE.

THE STUDENTS HAVE TO DISCUSS AMONG THEM, THE QUESTIONS UNDER A SUPERVISION OF A TUTOR.

AT THE END OF THE SEMINAR, THE STUDENTS PERFORM A WRITTEN TEST BASED ON THE SUBJECT OF THE SEMINAR. VERY IMPORTANT!

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.4) CLINICAL CASE

( ONE PER MONTH )

CLINICAL CASE SHOULD FOCUS ON A MEDICAL HISTORY OF A PATIENT WITH A CLEAR DIAGNOSTIC.

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.4) CLINICAL CASE

( ONE PER MONTH )

CLINICAL CASE SHOULD FOCUS ON A MEDICAL HISTORY OF A PATIENT WITH A CLEAR DIAGNOSTIC.

GROUPS OF STUDENTS HAVE TO JUSTIFY THE CHOICE OF THE DRUGS TO BE USED IN THE PATIENT, AND DISCUSS THE MECHANISM OF ACTION, ALWAYS BALANCING THE RISK / BENEFIT OF THE DRUGS.

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.5) PANELS

A GROUP OF STUDENT HAS TO PRESENT AN UPDATE REVIEW OF THE PHARMACOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE OF A SUBJECT NOT SEEN IN THE FORMAL LECTURES. MOREOVER, THEY HAVE TO PRESENT THIS REVIEW UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A TUTOR.

3) HOW ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

3.5) PANELS

A GROUP OF STUDENT HAS TO PRESENT NA UPDATE REVIEW OF THE PHARMACOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE OF A SUBJECT NOT SEEN IN THE FORMAL LECTURES. MOREOVER, THEY HAVE TO PRESENT THIS REVIEW UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A TUTOR.

AT THE END OF THE PANEL PRESENTATION THE GROUP OF STUDENTS IS EVALUATED BY THE TUTOR.

4) HOW ARE WE GOING TO EVALUATE THE LEVEL OF STUDENT LEARNING

WRITTEN ASSAY, NOT MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS (EVERY TWO MONTH)

+

SEMINARS MARKS

+

PANELS MARKS

5) WHEN ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

THE BEST MOMENT TO TEACH PHARMACOLOGY TO MEDICAL STUDENTS IS WHEN THEY HAVE ALREADY STARTED THEIR CLINICAL TRAINING.

5) WHEN ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

THE BEST MOMENT TO TEACH PHARMACOLOGY TO MEDICAL STUDENTS IS WHEN THEY HAVE ALREADY STARTED THEIR CLINICAL TRAINING.

THE MOTIVATION TO LEARN PHARMACOLOGY IS SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED BY STUDENT CONTACT WITH THE PATIENT

5) WHEN ARE WE GOING TO TEACH

THE BEST MOMENT TO TEACH PHARMACOLOGY TO MEDICAL STUDENTS IS WHEN THEY HAVE ALREADY STARTED THEIR CLINICAL TRAINING.

THE MOTIVATION TO LEARN PHARMACOLOGY IS SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED BY STUDENT CONTACT WITH THE PATIENT

WHEN PHARMACOLOGY IS TOUGHT VERY EARLY IN THE MEDICAL COURSE THE STUDENT TENDS TO FORGET ALL THE PHARMACOLOGICAL INFORMATIONS RECEIVED.

CONCLUSIONS

WHATEVER IS THE METHOD CHOOSEN TO TEACH

PHARMACOLOGY TO MEDICAL STUDENT, A BETTER

RESULT IN TERMS OF MOTIVATION AND LEARNING IS

ACHIEVED WHEN WE USE THE INTERFACE BETWEEN

PHARMACOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE. THE

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DISEASE AND DRUGS SHOULD

NEVER BE LOST.