Essential Neurology: Audiovisual Patient Vignettes on CD-ROM as a Teaching Aid for Medical Students

Abstract

To assess third- and fourth-year medical students’ opinions in the use of previously recorded and edited live patient interviews as a teaching tool during a 1-month clinical neurology rotation. The global burden of neurological disease is on the rise and is projected to reach nearly 15% by the year 2020. The amount of time devoted to neurologic education during medical school is limited. To expand the range of neurologic problems to which students are exposed, we have compiled an archive of 100 audiovisual case vignettes on CD-ROM which students view during their neurology clerkship. The vignettes served as a tool for our former Departmental Chairman (Dr Biller) to discuss diagnosis, ancillary testing, and basic patient management skills with third- and fourth-year medical students during interactive case conferences. A survey conducted among students regarding the vignettes reflects a high degree of approval. Ninety-two percent of the students rated the overall experience with the case vignettes as either “excellent” or “good.” CD-ROM case vignettes are felt to represent a novel way of expanding students’ experience during a brief neurology clerkship. The hope is that use of such archival vignettes will help students hone their diagnostic and therapeutic skills in neurology regardless of their chosen specialty.