Medical Student Introduction to ‘Patient Centred Healthcare' Through a ‘Constructivist' Learning Session in Cardiology: A Cross Sectional Evaluation

Abstract

To compare constructivist and traditional power point teaching modalities in a cardiology workshop for medical undergraduates. The purpose of introducing the constructivist method was to activate the cognitive domain of the students and promote self learning. A cross sectional qualitative and quantitative study was planned on hundred, second and third professional medical students (III to IX semester) who were screened to participate. Topics discussed with the constructivist method were clinical case discussion, basic and advanced cardiac life support, electrocardiography, and community cardiology. The traditional power point method topics discussed were cardiac surgeries, paediatric cardiology and advanced diagnostic cardiology. Assessment on feedback of the students and interpretation of the interviews of medical educators, students and patients and grading of lectures from 0-10 was undertaken. Seventy two percent liked the active participation of students in the constructivist method of teaching. Seventy two percent of the participants found power point presentations as monotonous and no different from the usual didactic lectures conducted in the class room teaching. There was an up gradation of scores after the teaching sessions for clinical case discussion, ECG, BLS/ACLS and cardiac surgeries. The medical educators also found the constructivist method of teaching more practical. Constructivist method of teaching may be regarded as a new better way of teaching medical students as it considers the students as adult learners and promotes self learning.