Practical projects in final year pharmacology

1. Practical projects in final year pharmacology Ian Hughes Bioscience Centre, Higher Education Academy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK. i.e.hughes@leeds.ac.uk

2. Year 3, semester 2; 4 – 12+ weeks full time 6000 word dissertation (90%) + 10 minute talk (10%) 20% of final classification marks Learning objectives are: Acquire laboratory skills, time management, develop ability to research, acquire/exercise theoretical knowledge, working as part of a team, staff contact, verbal/written communication, problem solving skills, data handling, experimental design, attitudes to animals, animal handling skills, self discipline, independent working, organisation and planning skills, ‘real’ world experience, critical thought, presentation of written work to required format Characteristics of final year projects

3. Increased numbers of students (18 > 65) Increased cost of consumables Student ethics/threats from animal activists Increased complexity of pharmacological methods Decreased practical skills on entry to final year Restrictive H&S and ethical requirements Increasing reluctance of research labs to take undergraduates (£400) Decreasing quality of supervision Student aspirations to wide range of employments Pressures on final year projects

4. 50% non-pharmacol non-science 15% non-pharmacol science 17% pharm ind lab 8% clin res/regul/ med rep/info 12% teaching 4% 50% management admin 6% research degree scheme 30% Who are the employers?(4 UK universities) UG student 8%

5. Best thing in whole course 38% Support choice of lab and non-lab projects 89% Should contribute less to final degree classification 12% Practical projects only for good performers 38% Practical projects only for those going to practical based employment 21% Too time consuming 9% QUOTES ‘I didn’t know how involving practical research was until I did my project’ ‘You only find out what research is like when you do a project – and it’s not for me’ Student views on final year project

6. Surveys of medicine use Does use of benzodiazepines follow accepted guidelines on wards for the elderly? A comparison of drug use in white and ethnic minority in-patients on mental health wards Use of antidepressants in different GP practices Duration of detention under the MHA in white and ethnic minority patients Computer assisted/distance learning packages Mode of action of suxamethonium at the neuromuscular junction Homeopathy The proper use of t-tests Data interpretation exercise and associated marking schedule Alternatives to lab based projects

7. Lessons for school pupils Know about street drugs Drugs in sport Medicines for asthma Animal use and new medicines Clinical research Assessment of acne treatments Do patients know about their medicines? Multiple publication of results from clinical research trials Literature based projects New treatments for epilepsy Depression - causes and treatments New antipsychotics – better or just more costly? Aspirin – wonder drug or outmoded medicine? Breast cancer treatment – a therapeutic success? Alternatives to lab based projects Surveys of students Drug use Attitudes to learning Ethics and values

8. Final year projects: Are associated with multiple learning objectives Are valued and valuable elements of pharmacology courses Are under pressure from a variety of factors Based in the laboratory may not meet the needs of all students Can be offered in non-laboratory contexts to achieve appropriate learning objectives and meet diverse student aspirations Take home messages