A SURVEY ON METHODS OF UNDERGRADUATE PHARMACOLOGY TEACHING

Knowledge of pharmacology to choose and prescribe drugs is a major challenge encountered by medical practitioners. A number of initiatives have been carried out to improve the teaching of pharmacology and applied therapeutics.Material & methods-A survey was conducted on medical students,pursuing pharmacology at Kasturba Medical College,Manipal,during the month of August 2010,to obtain information regarding students attitude towards Pharmacology. Result-Two hundred and fourteen students participated.The total median score was 56 (maximum score 80).Majority of them suggested to have more problem based learning than didactic lectures and to have integrated teaching with other clinical subjects. Suggestions to improve pharmacology teaching were noted.Conclusion-The findings of the study would be of interest to medical educators in modifying undergraduate pharmacology teaching programm

Comparative analysis of medical pharmacology books based on competency based undergraduate curriculum followed by MBBS student in Rani Durgavati Medical College, Banda

Background: National Medical Commission (NMC) has implemented competency based undergraduate curriculum for training of new M.B.B.S. students. As per these curriculum authors of Medical Pharmacology books also changed their book content to fulfill the subject requirement.Methods: A systematic comparison of books carried out in department of pharmacology Rani Durgawati Medical College, Banda, Uttar Pradesh. There was comparison of 5 books of medical pharmacology of Indian author belongs to edition after 2019. The books included were Essentials of Medical Pharmacology (Jaypee Publication, 8th Edition, 2021), Medical Pharmacology (CBS Publishers And Distributors Pvt Ltd, 7th Edition, 2021), Pharmacology and Pharmacotherepeutics (Elsvier Publication, 26th Edition, 2021), Pharmacology for MBBS (Avichal Publication Company, 2nd edition, 2021) and Pharmacology for Medical Graduates (Elsvier Publication, 4th Edition, 2020). All the books were examined for the competencies described in the pharmacology syllabus. The table was prepared for the availability of topics according to the competencies of different section of syllabus. The chapter/page numbers mentioned in competency table were looked upon for the respective competencies and presence or absence of the topic was noted down.Results: All the books mainly covered competency given in the knowledge section of the syllabus. Few competencies in skill and communication sections were also covered in the text books.Conclusions: When all the five books were evaluated according to pharmacology competency in syllabus, none of the books covered whole pharmacology syllabus. This may be because authors considered the competency topics in skill and communication section as a part of practical or because many practical books or manuals are available in the market which covered topics in these sections

In the Flesh and the Gothic Pharmacology of Everyday Life; or Into and Out of the Gothic

One of the key questions facing Gothic Studies today is that of its migration into and out of its once familiar generic or symbolic modes of representation. The BBC series In the Flesh addresses these concerns against the background of a neoliberal medical culture in which pharmaceutical treatments have become powerful tools of socio-economic normalization, either through inducing passivity or in heightening productivity, generating chemically adapted biomachines tuned to think and produce. But the pharmakon has always been a risky form of normalization, its poisonous mechanisms threatening to undo its helpful patterns by stealth. This essay discusses the pharmacological and medical contexts of the series in which zombies are subjected to medical management and normalized as “PDS sufferers,” thereby locating In the Flesh in terms of an already gothicized neoliberal pharmacology of everyday life. It also enquires how the proximity of the symbolic pharmacology of the series to neoliberal medical discourses and practices actually challenges traditional representational patterns of the Gothic and whether the Gothic can still have a role as an alternative cure to society’s ills

Time to reinvent the branch of medical pharmacology

Pharmacology is one of the most active branches of medicine with respect to the amount of research and innovation. The field of pharmacology is actively involved in new drug discovery and identification of new therapeutic targets. However, unfortunately, same cannot be said for the medical pharmacology departments in various medical colleges in India and abroad

Effects of Clinical Pharmacology Training on Prescription Writing Skills of Interns

Introduction: The skill of appropriate prescription writing is a corner stone of treatment. Due to this fact, we designed a study for evaluating interns prescription writing skills after clinical pharmacology training. Methods: One hundred medical students of Tabriz University of medical science and Tabriz Azad medical university (TAMU) were chosen as intervention group and other one hundred medical students were selected as controls. Clinical pharmacology training was the intervention when the students were in internal medicine ward. Their prescribing skills were evaluated using a questionnaire. Results: Twenty eight percent of TUMS non- trained students and 68% of trained students were interested in pharmacology classes (P<0.001). Knowledge of pharmacology in non- trained TUMS students was 22% poor and 6% perfect, but in trained TUMS students it was 2% poor and 18 % perfect. In TUMS students, 80% and TAMU, 68% of the interns announced that clinical pharmacology training was essential (P= 0.25). Most of the interns had problems in correct dictation, dosage, dose adjustment of the drugs and only 4% of them had minor problems. In trained group, most of their problems solved. Conclusion: Pharmacology classes which are a part of educational curriculum during the fourth year of medical training is not enough for future clinical rotations. Clinical pharmacology training is essential for improving the prescription writing skills

Comparison of the cost‐effectiveness of a computer‐assisted learning program with a tutored demonstration to teach intestinal motility to medical students

Computer‐based simulations of undergraduate experiments in pharmacology and physiology may offer a cost‐effective alternative to the traditional live laboratory for some students, for whom laboratory skills are less important. Here we describe a study which compares two approaches to teaching preclinical medical students the pharmacology of colonic motility. Half of one cohort received a tutored live demonstration of an isolated tissue laboratory, while the other half used a computer simulation program covering the same subject. The study demonstrated that student learning was comparable for both groups, that many students found the computer simulation an acceptable alternative and that the latter required significantly less resource

Medical student’s perception on teaching-learning methods of pharmacology in a medical college

Background: To know the Medical student’s perception on teaching and learning methods of pharmacology in a medical college attached to tertiary care hospital.Methods: This is a questionnaire based study conducted in a medical college. A pre-validated, pre-designed questionnaire containing 22 points was given to 5th semester students to know their perception on teaching and learning methods.Results: Analysis was done on 150 medical students of a tertiary care hospital. Among them, 80 % wanted the faculty members to make more utilization of Audio-Visual aids for effective learning. 78.67 % students wanted to include case based learning in the curriculum and 86.67% wanted more of the clinical pharmacology to be introduced. A 28% wanted MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) to be included in the assessment of academic performance. A 13.33% felt that the ideal teaching method for learning pharmacology was didactic lectures. A 65% thought ideal teaching/learning media for pharmacology was the combination of LCD (Liquid Crystal display) projector and blackboard.Conclusions: The study revealed the ideal teaching and learning methods in pharmacology for the betterment of students

Comparative study of effectiveness of computer based knowledge in teaching versus conventional teaching perception in pharmacology among second year MBBS undergraduate medical students at Maharajah’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Andhra Pradesh, India

Background: Medical education has been asserted as one of the most challenging, demanding, and stressful fields of study, as medical students are expected to acquire diverse competencies such as academic, clinical, and interpersonal skills. Pharmacology is rapidly evolving and expanding conquering many diseases in its stride. The survey-based study we aim to grasp the MBBS students’ opinion regarding the teaching practices in pharmacology. Aim was to Study and compare the Effectiveness of Computer Based Teaching Versus Conventional Teaching Perception About Pharmacology Among Second Year MBBS Undergraduate Medical Students.Methods: A comparative study was conducted at Department of Pharmacology, Maharajah’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Nellimarla, Vizianagaram, Andhrapradesh. Two hundred second year MBBS medical students (n = 200) were divided into two groups.Results: In this study results shows P value and statistical significance the two-tailed P value is less than 0.0001 by conventional criteria, this difference is considered to be extremely statistically significant. Confidence interval the mean of Pre-test score minus Post test score equals -3.1900 and 95% confidence interval of this difference from -3.4503 to -2.9297.Conclusions: The importance of pharmacology in clinical decision making is well understood by the majority of students and they aim to act in that behest. Also, we find that computer based learning is a new and important tool coming up in the arsenal of the pharmacology teacher

Evaluation of teaching methods in pharmacology among MBBS students

Background: Pharmacology is one of the most important subjects in medical curriculum. It is basis of medical science and the foundation of treatment. The applied aspect forms the basis of clinical rational therapeutics.Methods: A cross-sectional study among 100 undergraduate medical students was undertaken after Institutional Ethics committee permission. Questionnaire was prepared from previous studies and validated by experts. These were administered to the participants after receiving their due consent.Results: The mean age of students was 21.31±2.93 years. There were 72% females and 28% males. The average rating given for Pharmacology subject was 7.95±1.16. Females (8.38±1.24) rated Pharmacology subject more than males (7.51±1.09). 62% liked combination of LCD and Blackboard for teaching. 34% felt group discussion was the ideal Teaching learning method for learning Pharmacology. The most interesting topic was General Pharmacology (31%) and ANS (45%) was the most difficult subject to understand. The most important topic in practical’s was 25% prescription writing and least was experimental graphs (2%). Preferred source to learn Pharmacology was combination of textbook and lecture (42%). 81% students liked integrated teaching of pharmacology with other subjects. 93% felt there should be more use of audiovisual aids, 91% wanted more of clinical pharmacology and 88% wanted more of group discussions. 91% felt calculation of pharmacokinetic parameters is clinically applicable.Conclusions: There is need to develop innovative teaching learning methods and include more of clinical pharmacology in the undergraduate pharmacology subject

Assessment of knowledge of pharmacotherapeutics amongst medical undergraduates of a tertiary care teaching hospital of Chhattisgarh, India: a questionnaire based study

Background: Knowledge of pharmacology forms the basis of rational pharmacotherapy practice. Teaching the medical students about systematic application of pharmacology in patients’ care forms an essential component. It facilitates the medical students to develop a methodical approach in solving patients’ clinical problems.Methods: A questionnaire-based study was conducted, at Government Medical College Rajnandgaon involving second year MBBS students. Total 100 students participated in the study.Results: Hundred percent of the students responded that pharmacology was presently taught to them, seventy nine percent of them agreed with the fact that pharmacology was preferred to pass the MBBS, eighty eight percent of them responded that in pharmacokinetics was the least preferred topic, ninety seven of them were not aware of the essential drug list. Their suggestions regarding the change in teaching methodology was recorded.Conclusions: This study concludes that efforts are needed to develop a curriculum that encompasses important aspects of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics along with incorporation of the useful suggestions by the undergraduate students