Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Biosciences Division, Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Med Educ Online. 2024 Dec 31;29(1):2336331. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2024.2336331. Epub 2024 Apr 5.
Medical school educators face challenges determining which new and emerging topics to incorporate into medical school curricula, and how to do so. A study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the integration of emerging topics related to microbiology and immunology in the undergraduate medical curriculum (UME).
An anonymous survey with 17 questions was emailed to medical school faculty who teach immunology and/or microbiology through the DR-Ed listserv, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Connect listserv, and attendees of the Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs (AMSMIC) Educational Strategies Workshop. Participants were asked about experiences, perceptions, and the decision-making process regarding integrating emerging topics into UME.
The top emerging topics that were added to the curriculum or considered for addition in the last 10 years included COVID-19, Zika virus, mRNA vaccines, and Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). Most respondents reported lectures and active learning as the major methods for topic delivery, with most faculty indicating that formative assessment was the best way to assess emerging topics. Content experts and course directors were the most cited individuals making these decisions. Top reasons for incorporating emerging topics into curricula included preparing students for clinical treatment of cases, followed by demonstrating the importance of basic science, and opportunities to integrate basic science into other disciplines. Challenges for incorporating these topics included making room in an already crowded curriculum, followed by content overload for students.
This study describes the rationale for integrating emerging topics related to microbiology and immunology into UME, and identifies the current new and emerging topics, as well as the main methods of integration and assessment. These results may be used by medical educators to inform curricular decisions at their institutions. Future studies will include developing innovative learning modules that overcome barriers to integration.
医学院校教育者在确定将哪些新出现的主题纳入医学课程以及如何纳入这些主题方面面临挑战。本研究旨在更好地了解与微生物学和免疫学相关的新兴主题在本科医学课程（UME）中的整合情况。
通过 DR-Ed 列表服务、美国微生物学会（ASM）Connect 列表服务以及医学学校微生物学和免疫学主席协会（AMSMIC）教育策略研讨会的与会者，向教授免疫学和/或微生物学的医学学校教师发送了一份包含 17 个问题的匿名调查。参与者被问及在将新兴主题纳入 UME 方面的经验、看法和决策过程。
在过去 10 年中，新增或考虑新增到课程中的顶级新兴主题包括 COVID-19、寨卡病毒、mRNA 疫苗和猴痘（以前称为猴痘）。大多数受访者报告说，讲座和主动学习是主题教学的主要方法，大多数教师表示形成性评估是评估新兴主题的最佳方法。内容专家和课程主任是做出这些决定的最常被提及的人。将新兴主题纳入课程的主要原因包括为学生准备临床治疗病例，其次是展示基础科学的重要性，以及将基础科学整合到其他学科的机会。纳入这些主题的挑战包括在已经拥挤的课程中腾出空间，其次是学生的内容过载。
本研究描述了将与微生物学和免疫学相关的新兴主题纳入 UME 的基本原理，并确定了当前的新出现主题以及整合和评估的主要方法。这些结果可用于医学教育者在其所在机构做出课程决策。未来的研究将包括开发克服整合障碍的创新学习模块。
