Medical students and medical teachers learn together: preliminary experiences from Western Nepal.

ABSTRACT

Medical students and medical teachers learning together have not been widely reported in the literature. However, there have been reports of this collaborative learning from other areas of education. The Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal admits students from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and other countries to the undergraduate medical course. The department of Medical Education decided to offer a voluntary Medical Humanities module to the students. Faculty members also joined the module along with the fifth and sixth semester students. The facilitator conducted two focus group discussions (FGDs) with the faculty and the student participants separately. Various issues regarding the module were discussed but here I am only describing the issue of the faculty and the students learning together. The sessions were based on small group, activity-based learning and were held after regular college hours. The faculty participants acted as co facilitators and guided the dynamics of their groups. They added experience to the literature and art interpretation and to the role plays. In certain sessions, their professional experience added value. The faculty and the students bonded together well. The new topic, the informal and interactive nature of the sessions may be partly responsible. Future sessions can draw on this experience.