In order to choose the best medical curriculum for yourself or your students, you must first establish solid and clear-cut goals. What do you hope to accomplish by studying the curriculum? If you are a teacher, what do you want your students to take away from the class after they’ve completed the course? The answer to these questions will help you make the best decision for everyone involved.
As a student, the biggest factor in picking the best medical curriculum is to determine what your long-term goals are. You may be taking a two-semester course to further you current career, or you may be entering medical school to eventually become a medical doctor. Whatever your reasoning, the medical curriculum you take will need to help you reach the goals you have set for yourself.
More often than not, the school you will attend can help you determine the types of medical curriculum needed to obtain the degree, certification or training you desire. Sit down with a school administrator to discuss your options. There may be more than one curriculum schedule you could take to reach the same destination, so make sure to ask for alternatives to any classes you feel uneasy about taking. If there are none, sign up for help or tutoring early.
Educators have an entirely different set of criteria for picking out the proper medical curriculum for use in their classrooms. As a teacher or other type of instructor, it is your job to find coursework that is not only stimulating and educational; but that also meets all government and school regulations for the class you are teaching. You may have little control over some of the lessons you will be required to teach. Specific books and guides may also be predetermined.
This does not mean that you can’t add additional information to your courses, so long as you provide accurate information. Read through several books, articles, papers and medical journals and find any recent studies or findings in the field you will be teaching. Since emerging research occurs all the time in the medical profession, you may incorporate recent news or discoveries in your curriculum. Ask students their opinions on medical debates and have them perform their own debate in class.
Get students involved with what you teach. The more they can relate to the curriculum, the more likely it is to sink in. Give real world examples of medical problems and patient stories. This will have an even greater effect if it comes from your own personal experiences in the field. You may also speak with colleagues and fellow educators to learn of medical curriculum they have found helpful, as well as points of interest they’ve encountered during their careers.
By combining several factors of medicinal study into your curriculum, you will provide students with a more well-rounded approach to learning. This helps to educate students with varying learning styles, as well as provide them more interesting lessons. Additionally, by reading and learning new things yourself; you will stay ahead of current trends and sciences in your own career field.
