Goals
The demand for depth in medical education sets challenges for curriculum planning and the choice of teaching methods and modes of student work. Ideally, the development of medical education should be based on contextual research data about the processes of medical learning. From the point of view of basic education development, it is crucial to inquire into the quality of the learning process and the accumulation of insightful knowledge when studies proceed. Such follow-up inquiries should be conducted not only in connection with exams, but also every term or academic year to obtain an overview of the situation. To accomplish this, relevant tools are needed.
The theoretical framework to be applied to medical education must draw more effectively on the bio-psychosocial approach which advocates a holistic view of the individual and consequently requires from physicians good interactive skills and an ability for holistic thinking. More attention must be paid in medical education to the teaching of the above skills.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the learning of medical students during the course of medical education and to develop medical teaching and teaching methods so that they satisfy the needs of both the students and their future patients.
Research problems:
- What is the study orientation of medical students like at different stages of medical education?
- How does medical knowledge become organized into wholes during the course of medical education?
- How does the students’ medical thinking develop in the course of the studies?
- How do the students see, at different stages of their education, their role and duties in the doctor-patient relationship?
- What properties do the students consider to be characteristic of a good physician at different stages of their studies?
- How can the learning follow-up data be used as a tool of continuous quality assessment in medical education?