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A Pharmacology Teaching Model Cai-Li Zhang Dept. of Pharmacology, Tianjin Medical University Tianjin 300070, People’s Republic of China.
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A Pharmacology Teaching ModelCai-Li ZhangDept. of Pharmacology, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin 300070, People’s Republic of China
Facing the fast development of science, technology, knowledge and information, our society needs high level personnel, who not only have abundant scientific knowledge, but also various ability.
Seven-year program students are high level students in Medical University, how to improve the seven-year program teaching, to make the students to be the reserve force of real scientific and technological personnel, it is an important task for the University and faculty members.
For many years in Tianjin Medical University we have tried to improve teaching Pharmacology in the field of compiling materials, preparing the lectures, giving the lectures and training the comprehensive ability of the students.
1．Compiling teaching materials • Compiling Pharmacology text book in English
Construction of teaching material should be at the same time with reformation of teaching, writing systemic, scientific, creative and combing teaching realistic, high- quality new teaching materials.
According to teaching content, consulting newly published English and Chinese text books and reference books, we have written New English Pharmacology text book. The book is designed to provide a complete, current and readable Pharmacology book both for seven-year program and foreign medical students.
The book was printed in 1997(1st edition), 1999(2nd edition) and 2002(3rd edition). It is also used by Medical School, Nankai University and Henan Medical University. After using this book for several years, it shows that is a practical, high quality basic science teaching material.
Compiling Pharmacology experiment guideline in English for seven-year program students
Natural science is based on practice. The design of experiment depends on theory. The result of experiment tests and verifies or denies the theory.
In general, principle of Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics is one of the important theoretical content, in the field of directing rational use of drug in clinic, preventing irrational drug use, it has important meaning. Right now, Pharmacokinetics is developing broadly abroad.
Rapidly and accurately determine patient’s plasma drug concentration is a basic step for calculating Pharmacokinetic parameters. The determining “one- compartment, two-compartment model blood concentration” experiment may help the students to understand the theoretical knowledge learned in classroom, and train their ability of practice.
Most of the students study drugs isolated and do not understand the use of drug combination and drug interactions. To overcome this shortage, we write discussion materials, such as “the actions of autonomic nervous system drugs”. Cholinergic drugs, cholinoceptor-blocking drugs, adrenergic drugs, and adrenoceptor-blocking drugs are used in some animal model experiments.
Discuss the effects of these drugs. Since they have interactions, when they are used together, it is different from that when they are used alone.
Through discussion, students understand the interactions of cholinergic drugs, cholinoceptor-blocking drugs, adrenergic drugs and adrenoceptor-blocking drugs after they are used in combination, then the students’ comprehensive ability is raised.
We have case discussion class. Representative cases are selected, let students to discuss what should be used and explain the reasons. Let them to understand how to use drug rationally, in order to manage drug interactions and avoid side effects.
For seven-year program medical students from 1985 some professors have insisted ongiving lectures in English, other faculty members use both English and Chinese.
In Pharmacology half of the total teaching hours is in English. Lecture notes, outline, blackboard writing, medical terms, drug names, Power-point for all the speakers are in English. In teaching we insist the following:
We will explain the progress and trends of Pharmacology and new theories. To explain the mechanism of action of drug on molecular level, receptor and subtypes and ion levels. We pay attention to the connection between basic and clinical courses.
Every unit one faculty member is in charge of preparing lectures. He raises the key points, difficult points. After discussion and searching materials from literature, we may understand the teaching material deeply and manage the key points, difficult points in our minds. Preparing lectures collectively especially helps the young assistants and also the whole faculty members to raise the academic level in our field.
Pay attention to the training of the students’ intelligence, giving lectures with heuristic method, emphatically elucidating the drug actions, mechanism of action of drugs, side effects and clinical uses of drugs.
Simply explaining other parts of the materials, or directing the students to read by themselves. Introduce the important, meaningful new scientific achievement as key point.
For example, in general principles of Pharmacology, every student should manage and know how to calculate transport rate, rate constant, half-life, apparent volume of distribution, compartment model, and LD50.
New theories and new progress are introduced in the following fields of teaching materials, such as receptor-effector coupling mechanism, mechanism of benzodiazepines, dopamine receptor subtypes, opioid receptor subtypes, mechanism of calcium antagonists, nitrates, cardiac glycosides and diuretics, mechanism of glucocorticoids, antithyroid drugs, antidiabetic drugs and the development of b-lactam antibiotics.
All the drugs have close relation with diseases. Using heuristic teaching method we introduce clinical cases to the students. Let them think, analyze and discuss how to use the drugs to treat the diseases. Train the students’ differentiating and analyzing ability and improve their studying method.
Paying attention to transverse connection of different topics
Raising questions, discussion, review and quiz are used to review the knowledge. For example, chlorpromazine, aspirin and glucocorticoids can lower the body temperature, but the mechanisms of action are different. One question belongs to these chapters. The students compose the similarity and differences of these drugs. Thus, the analytical ability of the students is raised.
Small quiz, mid term exam, final exam are all in English, and the students are asked to answer the questions in English. At the same time, they have to write experiment reports in English.
Writing abstracts and reviews To improve the students’ medical English level, faculty members direct students to write abstracts and reviews.
Totally raising students’ quality, analytical ability and knowledge level
According to the analysis of the exam records of 14 sessions, for seven-year program students we have used English text book, English teaching material and given lectures in English, the result is well. Students’ English level, writing ability is raised. Most of them can communicate with people, answer the questions, writing experiment reports, abstracts and reviews in English.
To elevate the teaching level of faculty members, four American professors have been invited to give lectures to students. We also invited foreign professors and scientists to give seminars. By means of this kind of activities, faculty members and students may understand the development and new trends of Pharmacology.
Pharmacology experiment course has important link with Pharmacology teaching. It may not only consolidate and elevate the theory, but also training the student independent working ability. In the experiment course we use closed TV, head projector, slide projector, recorders video tapes, power point, including all these electrochemical teaching measures, which are also used in classroom.
It is easy for students to understand the abstract conceptions, to get direct understanding.
The key point of elevating student quality is to elevate the quality of young faculty members. Facing the problem of continuous renewal of the knowledge, increasing teaching materials, comparatively shortening the teaching hours, how to elevate teaching quality, it raises a higher demand for faculty members.
Every new assistant is directed by an associate professor or professor, who helps him to perform teaching task independently as soon as possible. For lecturers and associate professors all have special training plans.
Before giving the lectures to the seven-year program students, young faculty members and assistants must give the lecture in English on a trail basis. By the aid of preparing the lectures collectively, we will point out the main point, difficult points and points for attention.
Give them suggestion for their English outline, blackboard handwriting, explanation of main points, difficult points, pronunciation of medical terms and express of words. Encourage young assistants and faculty members to give lectures in English. Now, we have several young faculty members and assistants who may give the lectures in English. They are strong reserve force in teaching Pharmacology in English.
