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MedEd DeepDive: Where Innovation Meets Education
Whether you're a student navigating the complexities of medical school, an educator striving to improve learning outcomes, a researcher pushing the boundaries of knowledge, or a policymaker shaping the future of medical education—this podcast is for you.
In Season 1 of MedEd DeepDive, we explore the cutting-edge innovations transforming how we teach and learn. From the use of AI and chatbots to combat vaccine misinformation to the game-changing potential of virtual simulations and the metaverse in medical training, our episodes dive into the latest research and real-world applications. We'll also discuss innovative tools like serious games, escape rooms, and virtual patients that make learning more immersive and effective.
Join us as we examine the technological advancements and essential human elements of healthcare education, highlighting how strategies like interprofessional education, team-based learning, and even traditional methods like moulage can create a more holistic and impactful approach.
Subscribe now to stay ahead of the curve and participate in the conversation shaping the future of healthcare education.
Ever feel like just a ton of textbooks got dumped straight onto your brain? Yeah. That's kinda how med school felt, like, always trying to absorb everything from anatomy to, like, pharmacology.
Yassin:Yeah. You're definitely not alone in feeling that way.
Zaynab:Yeah.
Yassin:It's it's a very common experience for med students, especially in medicine, where the amount of information you need to know can be overwhelming.
Zaynab:It really can. And that is what makes this deep dive so relevant to all of our listeners. We're looking at an article, a research article called Curriculum Mapping with Academic Analytics in Medical and Healthcare Education. Don't worry. We're not gonna start quizzing you on obscure medical facts or anything like that.
Yassin:Right.
Zaynab:This deep dive is about how you can use data analysis to actually uncover these hidden connections between all those different facts. So it's kinda like creating a road map to help you learn smarter, not just harder. Right?
Yassin:Precisely. And the research really goes into a fascinating approach called curriculum mapping. But I think before we get too far, maybe we can kinda just level set on what we mean by academic analytics to begin with. Yeah. Essentially, it's about using data analysis techniques to better understand how we learn and how curricula are structured.
Zaynab:So instead of us just memorizing all these isolated facts, this deep dive is gonna help you start connecting the dots between all these different medical disciplines, and it'll make those study sessions way more
Yassin:effective. Yeah. Think of it this way. Instead of each subject being like its own little island, imagine if you had a map, and that map was able to reveal all these bridges that were connecting those islands together.
Zaynab:I like that.
Yassin:And that's what the researchers were able to do here. They essentially used algorithms, specifically natural language processing, to analyze course descriptions across a bunch of different medical disciplines.
Zaynab:Okay. So they basically fed a computer all of the course info, and it magically spat out this map of interconnected knowledge.
Yassin:Well, not magic, but
Zaynab:Tell me more.
Yassin:The results are actually very insightful. What they were able to do is they identified clusters of related discipline. So these were clusters and connections that might not be obvious if you were just looking at a course list.
Zaynab:Okay. So what kind of connections are we talking about specifically? Give me an example.
Yassin:Yeah. So one of the interesting findings was, the close relationship between microbiology, infectious diseases, and dermatology.
Zaynab:Which makes total sense when you really think about it. You know, microbes cause infections, and skin infections are a huge part of dermatology. It's like those subjects were always meant to be studied together.
Yassin:Right. And that's the beauty of this approach. It helps you understand the why behind the what. Mhmm. So you're not just memorizing these facts in isolation.
Yassin:You're actually building this coherent mental model of how all these different areas of medicine actually intersect.
Zaynab:So we're not just talking about making studying a little bit easier. We're actually talking about, like, understanding the material on a deeper, more fundamental level.
Yassin:Exactly.
Zaynab:But what does this actually look like for someone who's, you know, in the trenches of med school?
Yassin:So let's say, for example, you're studying cardiology, which everyone knows is a very complex subject. But imagine if instead of being intimidated, you realize that because you have this really solid understanding of nephrology, which is the study of kidneys Right. That actually gives you a huge head start. So you can actually leverage your knowledge of how the kidneys regulate fluid balance to then start to grasp these complexities of blood flow and pressure within the heart.
Zaynab:Oh, interesting. And
Yassin:it's about building upon your existing knowledge base.
Zaynab:So it's like those moments.
Yassin:Yeah. Exactly.
Zaynab:So instead of feeling overwhelmed by just the sheer volume of information, this approach really empowers students to approach their studies more strategically. They can identify these natural and then use that to reinforce their learning, which is I mean, that's what I call studying smarter, not harder. Definitely. And it's not
Yassin:just about identifying these clusters that are helpful for learning. The research also revealed something pretty interesting about certain subjects that didn't really fit neatly into these clusters.
Zaynab:Okay. So what do you mean, like, outlier?
Yassin:Exactly. Outliers. Mhmm. Subjects that the analysis showed as being kind of off on their own, a little bit isolated from the main clusters.
Zaynab:So, like, medical mysteries that haven't been solved yet.
Yassin:Well, not mysteries. But one example that really stood out was the field of ethics.
Zaynab:Ethics. See, that seems strange to me. It's not like ethics is some obscure, irrelevant corner of medicine. If anything, it's like,
Yassin:you know,
Zaynab:central to being a good doctor.
Yassin:Exactly. It's essential. And yet, the research indicates that in this curriculum map, ethics often ends up as this, kinda like its own island.
Zaynab:Separate from these interconnected clusters of heart sciences that we were talking about.
Yassin:That's pretty thought provoking, actually. It's almost like there's this unspoken divide between the science of medicine and then the humanity of medicine. Yeah. Even though both are so critical, obviously, when you're actually practicing. Right?
Zaynab:It is fascinating, isn't it? And, you know, it brings up a really important question about how medical education actually addresses this. Why is it that these subjects like ethics, like communication skills, even psychology, often get treated as these separate entities rather than being woven into the very fabric of the rest
Yassin:Yeah. Of
Zaynab:the curriculum.
Yassin:Yeah. It's like we're so focused on making sure that future doctors have all the right tools to, like, understand and treat the body that we kinda forget to give them the equally important tools to understand and connect with, like, the actual human being
Zaynab:Yeah.
Yassin:Right behind the illness.
Zaynab:Exactly. And that's you know, I think this mapping technique isn't just about highlighting the connections that already exist, but it's also, I think, about identifying areas where we, as, you know, educators and learners, need to do a better job of actually building stronger bridges. So, I mean, for our listeners out there who are, you know, really in it
Yassin:in the world of medicine and trying to figure all this out, I mean, what can they take away from all of this? Like, should they be, like, sketching out their own curriculum maps between now and their next exam?
Zaynab:I mean, creating a literal map, probably not necessary.
Yassin:Yeah.
Zaynab:But I think shifting your mindset certainly is. I think the big takeaway here is to approach your studies with this understanding that everything is connected.
Yassin:So don't just memorize, you know, the facts about a disease in pathology, for instance. Yeah. Think about, you know, what are the social and ethical implications?
Zaynab:Right. So it's about asking those bigger picture questions. Like, okay. So how would I actually communicate this diagnosis to a patient in a way that is both, you know, clear but also empathetic? Yeah.
Zaynab:What kind of cultural factors might influence their understanding of this or even, you know, their willingness to pursue a certain treatment?
Yassin:Absolutely. Because, ultimately, being a good doctor is not just about having this, like, encyclopedic knowledge of medical facts.
Zaynab:Right. Right. It's
Yassin:about being able to synthesize that knowledge with empathy, with strong communication skills, and this really deep understanding of all the ethical complexities that are involved in treating an actual human being.
Zaynab:So it's not just about being right. It's about doing right
Yassin:Exactly. For
Zaynab:your patients. And that requires a much more, like, I guess, holistic and well rounded approach to medical education that really acknowledges that interconnected nature of both, you know, the science, but then also the humanity
Yassin:I completely agree.
Zaynab:Of medicine. This whole thing, it's really got me thinking about how I approach learning even outside of medicine. You know? Yeah. It's like this curriculum mapping idea has really unlocked, like, a new level of understanding of how, like, all knowledge connects.
Yassin:It really is incredibly versatile. I mean, imagine applying this to something like law or engineering, even history. Oh, wow. The potential for finding those hidden connections is huge.
Zaynab:Yeah. No. You've got my mind going now. What about, like, learning a new language? Could you use one of these maps to, like, reveal those moments between, like, grammar rules and vocabulary, and then all of a sudden, the language just clicks?
Yassin:Absolutely. Or picture using this to navigate, like, a really complex historical period
Zaynab:Okay.
Yassin:So you could map out all the different, like, you know, key figures, the political movements, all the social changes that were happening.
Zaynab:Right. Right.
Yassin:And then you start to see how they all influence each other.
Zaynab:To get a much richer understanding of, like, that whole era.
Yassin:Exactly.
Zaynab:Okay. So as we kinda wrap up this deep dive here, what would you say is, like, the key takeaway for our listeners? What's, like, that one nugget of wisdom?
Yassin:I think it's this. It doesn't matter what you're learning, whether it's for your career or just a personal passion. Maybe just the joy of learning something new. There are always these hidden connections just kinda waiting to be uncovered. Right.
Yassin:So don't be afraid to kind of, you know, dig a little deeper, look for those patterns. And then in doing so, you can really forge your own unique understanding.
Zaynab:It's about embracing that sense of curiosity. Yeah. Approaching learning as an adventure. Absolutely. Well, on that note, I think that's a great place to wrap up this deep dive.
Zaynab:A huge thank you to our expert for joining us today and, of course, to all of you for listening. Until next time. Keep those minds curious and keep those connections flowing.