New Perspectives in Science Education

The article describes a pilot experiment addressed to first year students who need to become familiar with and able to use basic medical maneuvers early in their hospital practicum. The experiment took place in the University of Medicine and Pharmacy ‘‘Gr.T.Popa‘‘ Iasi, Romania. The main idea of the project is to design a component of academic medical education relying on motivated students, peer learning, and on a course-book including teaching videos made by the tutor, designed as a didactic tool in a low-budget skills development center.

Aims of the project: to implement in academic medical teaching a design of learning basic medical skills, relying mostly on peer education and which is capable to train freshman students to acquire and practice basic medical skills necessary for hospital practicum before the knowledge to back-up these medical maneuvers is learned in the clinical years.

Method: a teaching/learning system was conceived in a patient holistic approach using low-budget resources. The design was based on reviewing state-of-the-art literature in order to create a system of basic medical interventions and protocols strongly based on the latest scientific medical evidence and also tailored to existing local conditions. Accompanying videos were created for the students to illustrate both the maneuvers and the medical communication associated with them.

Results and Discussions: a book of protocols with accompanying videos was elaborated as a learning/working tool, and a skills development center was organized and didactic dummies were developed using low-cost solutions. Available human resources were organized in a system of peer-education for a maximum of efficiency in a “do – receive – assess – feedback – teach-coach” concept of experiential education.

Conclusions: the system of peer education involvement described has succeeded in creating a functional, work-based experiential learning environment, using a low budget and limited human resources.