When pursuing a medical career, you may be interested in further researching the institution you’d like to study at. For many individuals, a specific type of teaching instruction may be preferable, mainly if you are a student more amenable to a particular learning style. From traditional teaching methods to more modern methodologies, let’s discover how a career in education can be attained in vastly different ways while learning the same core competencies necessary for success in the medical profession.
If you want to position yourself for future success, having an understanding of how your course will be taught is a great way to be prepared. This can be particularly advantageous if you are more receptive to a particular style of teaching – for example, if you’re someone that is more comfortable with direct instruction, you may not necessarily be as comfortable if your course encourages total autonomy.
Everyone Teaches Differently
Have you ever played a memory game such as Go Fish with friends? You may find that some friends are more adept at winning hands and gaining advantage than others – in some cases, that can be down to skill, but most of the time, it’s an indicator of how different people are more receptive to particular learning styles.
In the 1980s, New Zealand lecturer Neil Fleming was one of the main designers behind the VARK model, a neuro programming model that dispersed student learning styles into four main categories – visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinaesthetic. This can be seen in the different applications of teaching methods – some rely on the use of reading and reinforcement stimuli to help learners, whereas learning employed in a gymnasium, may use a more physical series of movements to help enforce learning outcomes.
It’s important to note that there is no right or wrong learning or teaching style – it’s critical, however, you find a teaching style that meets your particular learning needs and positions you for future success.
Traditional Teaching Methods
Typically most universities undertake what is called a traditional teaching method or instruction style. This is a teaching style that has been in place for many years and historically has been successful for students that have gone to university solely for studying. In recent years, as student needs, particularly as cost-of-living pressures have become more intense, and individual students needs have changed, this sort of teaching method has lost ground, when compared to more modern methods of teaching such as the case-base and integrated methods.
A traditional teaching methodology first focuses on classroom instruction, and the mastery of curriculum before practical application. Once a curriculum is covered in the classroom there is then a transition into a clinical environment to apply classroom learnings to clinical environments. This method can be beneficial for those that gain more learning in a classroom prior to application, but may not necessarily be a realistic indication of how your medical career may progress upon completion of your qualification.
Problem-Based Teaching Styles
A more contemporary style of teaching involves the use of problem-based learning. This is often a form of teaching that is highlighted in medical programs such as Grey’s Anatomy; students and teachers are embedded in situations that are patient-centric and require students to understand the nuances of particular treatments and outcomes.
This all occurs within a hospital environment – student doctors must be able to not only understand the theory but also able to adapt to situations that may rapidly transform. After all, the human body is unique, and complications are by no means uncommon in a hospital environment.
A problem-based teaching style allows students to get a handle on problems within a practical working environment much faster than a traditional learning style – it’s hoped that by exposing students to the complexities of patient care early, they’re able to use their learnings to get the most out of their education.
The Power of Integrated Learning
No matter whether you’re a traditional learner, or more accustomed to problem-based learning, there’s a teaching style out there that will help you get the most out of your medical qualification.
When meshing the ideas of traditional and problem-based learning, students may encounter the ultimate classroom model for the medical professional – the integrated learning model, where students not only learn theory but also must adapt to an environment that reacts much like a real-world environment.
No matter what teaching style works best for you, don’t be afraid to explore what style of teaching a university offers before signing up. It may benefit your educational experience immensely, if you’re enmeshed in an education style that meets your needs.
