Application of the Case Study Method in Medical Education

Reducing the gap between professional opportunities of graduates of medical education institutions and needs of patients is the priority of medical education. The introduction of interactive methods, in particular the case study method, can help solve this problem. The aim of this study was to investigate how the application of the case method in medical education affects the learning outcomes of students and acquisition of practical experience. Case method was used to identify its impact on the acquisition of practical skills, abilities and clinical experience by future physicians. Students’ opinions on the effectiveness of the case method in gaining practical experience were surveyed. The study showed that the case method helped students find solutions required by clinical situations, as they used not only theoretical knowledge, but also acquired practical skills and clinical experience. The case method also increases students’ confidence in their professional abilities. This experimental study proved the high efficiency of using the case method in medical education to gain practical experience by students in the education institution. It can be useful for scholars and educators who are looking for, developing and implementing effective teaching methods that allow students to acquire the necessary competencies

“Clinical masks” of congenital malformations of urinary system in children of early age

Nowadays there is an increase in nephropathy in young children, which is associated not only with environmental impacts, but also with an increase in the incidence of congenital and hereditary caused forms of diseases, an increase in the incidence of mothers, and an improvement in diagnosis. In order to analyze the frequency of congenital malformations of the urinary system in young children under the “clinical masks” of various somatic pathologies, 864 cards of inpatients that were treated in the Early Childhood Department of the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital “OKHMATDYT” during 2013 were analyzed. The authors came to the conclusion that congenital malformations of the urinary system in young children are a frequent pathology, diagnosed in 44.6% of children admitted to the To the Department of the early age for acute pyelonephritis to get 10.3% of all children who were admitted to hospital treatment. The introduction of a two-stage algorithm for the diagnosis of congenital malformations of the urinary system allows us to recognize their various “clinical masks” and timely establish a clinical diagnosis of anomalies. This approach makes it possible to conduct adequate therapy and reduce high rates of childhood morbidity and disability, and has significant medical and social effects