Learning methods are very crucial in ensuring that the learning process is efficient and that it achieves its goals. The learning environment includes two parties that, the instructor and the learner. On the side of the instructor/lecturer, best teaching methods are used to ensure that they deliver the intended knowledge to the students. The students, on the other hand, need to understand the information passed to them; this happens properly if they employ reliable and appropriate learning methods that will help achieve these results. Medicine is a critical are of study because it is the learning process that trains medics who are sent out there to deal with human health conditions. Health is life, and hence the need to employ the best learning methods to ensure quality is achieved for an alternative could lead to loss of people’s life.
Some aspects of medicine fall under the regular training. These are the basic clinical skills and procedures while others involve complex, this is where you deal with ethics and many other social questions and conducts parameters. Effective learning methods in the medical field all the times includes some lifelong education processes that do not stop at any stage. It is progressive throughout one’s career. Some of the best learning methods in medicine are;
Practical Learning/Learning by Doing
Clinical teaching is often one the leading methods that involve seeking for opportunities for the medical students to practice clinical skills ranging from simple procedures to more complex skills such as carrying out an operation. As addressed by Schon’s (1987) there a need to move from a novice to an expert and also how to become a professional. This method ensures that we have practical doctors other than theoretical doctors who cannot practically deal with an ailment practically. Knowledge is not competence, and having the knowledge cannot result to professional competence that is needed on the ground. This method of learning through doing proves to be very useful and real.
Rehearsal, Feedback and Reflective Learning Method
Practicing good educational practices is imperative in providing a channel that will lead to helping the core principles of profession training. It implies that the medical students should be provided with the opportunity to deal with varying medical situations and get timely feedback to enable them to have time to reflect on their progress and help them become professional practitioners in the field of health. This learning method has proved to bear fruits and ensure that the medical students are progressive moving towards competence.
Group Discussions for Learning
In many situations, a group based learning works well. In medical schools, this has also worked well and has been used as a problem-based learning. In this kind of a setting, the medical students are provided with various questions varying complexity, and they are guided on how to handle them. Students discuss the questions and research together. It facilitates peer learning, and it is very useful. It is a kind of collaborative learning that promotes active student learning process. The group learning does not only facilitate the acquisition of knowledge but helps acquire many other attributes as a medical student.
These attributes are; excellent communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, independent responsibility for solving problems, sharing knowledge and information as well as respect for others.
Case Study for Learning
A case study is a method of inquiry outside the class situation where a medical student is provided with a particular phenomenon and asked to do a research and present his/her findings in a formal way using an analytical framework. In the case study, the results are presented in thesis form, journal or a reach paper this help the learner to use qualitative methods in collecting first-hand information on different health issues on the ground.
Seminars and Tutorials for Learning
These some of the most traditional methods used in teaching medical students. It is where a certain group in one field meets and share knowledge amongst them. They provide various intellectual stimulating forums and enabling learners to get answers to professional questions that they ask their trainers and fellow students.
The methods used in this field will determine the kind of products (doctors) that we have in our hospitals. Best learning methods will give us professional practitioners in this area while in appropriate learning methods will result in poor standards of the medics training and competencies. The general performance while using these methods discussed must improve and so will be the GPA.
