Are our Med students 'neurophobic'?
An interesting study conducted by Farid Youssef at the University of the West Indies SOM indictes that 'neurophobia' probably exists among their medical students, giving rise to concerns regarding the impact this will have on future patients."Neurophobia and it's implications: Evidence from a Caribbean medical school." (July 1, 2009) BMC Medical Education 2009, 9:39.
"Neurology is regarded as a difficult component of the medical curriculum. This has been so marked that the term neurophobia and its effects are being investigated. Given the impact of neurological disorders worldwide, neurophobia has the potential to affect the diagnosis and management of such cases."
The study determined that neurology was the subject students found the most difficult and had the least knowledge of. The difficulty seemed to stem from the need to know basic neuroscience and the complex clinical examination associated with neurology. In conclusion some suggestions are put forward to address this finding:
~ provide students with greater clinical and practical exposure
~ spend more time on the subject
~ improve the teaching skills of lecturers
~ re-visit the approach to neurology and neuroscience education
Click on the title for open access to the article.
Labels: Caribbean, Caribbean Medical School, medical education, neurology lectures, neurophobia, neuroscience, UWI
posted by Ann Celestine @ 9:49 AM
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