User Driven Learning: Blending the Best of Clinical Medicine and Humanities to Infuse ‘Joy’ into the Medical Curriculum

Medical students need to be equipped with knowledge and the attitude to tackle clinical complexity. The transition from classroom to clinical practice can be eased by the application of innovative student-centered learning methods. Through user-driven learning, which is asynchronous conversational learning in the web space between computer users, students can be encouraged to develop a comprehensive fund of experiential knowledge to enable them to quickly build physician-patient rapport and to apply decision-making skills in the face of uncertainty. This process offers medical students the opportunity to develop empathy and to participate in evidence sharing peer support groups. This article explores the concept of user-driven learning and discusses how this approach could be used in current health care settings to address knowledge gaps and inspire students and teachers alike.