The decision to study medicine is not one that is taken lightly. The path to becoming a medical professional is neither quick nor easy; it is a commitment that requires dedication, tremendous effort and time. So once the decision to study medicine has been made, how does one decide which programme to choose from?
We recently sat with Dr. Med. Eva Corvest, Bachelor Programme Coordinator and Module 1 Leader at EDU, to discuss her experiences in medical education through both the student and teaching perspectives.
Having studied medicine herself, as well as teaching during her immunology research years and then during her training as a forensic pathologist in Switzerland, Dr. Corvest has thoroughly observed and experienced traditional medical education first hand. Thus, through her time at EDU, she has come to praise the components that make up our modern medical programme. Below are Dr. Corvest’s top reasons as to why one should study at EDU.
1. Early integration of clinical practice and theory
“What entices me about the concept of EDU is the very early intertwining of theory and practice. From my personal experience, clinical practice is absolutely inevitable in medical education, and the earlier it starts, the better. On one hand, the students stay motivated because they see why they are studying, but on the other hand, it is also really, on the educational level, of great importance, to apply the theoretical knowledge that you have learnt shortly after you have learnt it, because this is the way you retain. This is really fantastic about EDU, is that from module 1 our students are exposed to clinics and really experience the clinical environment as it is in reality.”
2. Active learning
“I think what is very beneficial in medical education is learning in an active way. The classical medical education usually relies on large auditoriums filled with sometimes hundreds of students, and a professor speaking for 45 min or an hour and a half. So this is very passive, the students don’t get to actively participate in these sessions. This is very different at EDU, where we follow a very student-centred approach, meaning that the students are really the driving force in our learning units. They are encouraged to prepare beforehand, and they are encouraged to really actively participate, ask questions, solve problems that they are being faced with. This is an active way of learning (as compared to passive/re-active) which has been shown over and over in studies in medical education, to be particularly effective.”
3. Teamwork and small groups
“The teaching in small groups, as we practice at EDU, is also something that I as a teacher have always preferred over teaching large groups. It enables all students to participate, it enables a far more intense interaction between facilitator and students, and also, just from a purely personal point of view, sometimes students are shy to interact in larger groups, so smaller groups really, it’s a way to bring out the best in all the students.”
The component of teamwork is most clearly observed through the Problem-based learning method used at EDU. This comprises tutor-facilitated group sessions with a maximum of seven students in which a clinical problem is presented to the team in the shape of a case study. The team’s task is then to solve that clinical problem jointly. In the group, students rotate through all roles and reflect about the different perspectives subsequently. Among them, they elect a ‘chair’ to lead the group, as well as a ‘scribe’ to record and organize the discussion.
Dr. Eva Corvest remarks that this learning model is “a very student-centred learning environment, which I think is absolutely fantastic. And from my experience, achieves the absolutely best results in terms of learning outcomes and motivation of the students.”
4. Self-directed learning
“As medical professionals we are obliged to regularly review current medical literature, but this is something that is not necessarily taught at medical school. However, at EDU, we integrate classes from early modules on, where students are exposed to medical and scientific studies, and they are taught to critically appraise them.”
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Finally, Dr. Corvest has words of encouragement to those considering to study medicine at EDU:
“Medical studies are extremely hard. They are really tough, and they demand a lot. And they might bring you to despair sometimes. But we’ve all been there, right? We’ve all experienced it. However, the support that you will get at EDU is unique and is something that I haven’t seen anywhere else. So, we are here to guide you in this amazing journey.”
Is your decision to study medicine at EDU? Start your application now!
