Exploration of Teaching Methods for "Case Report Writing" in Medical Schools / 医学教育

ABSTRACT

This report presents a case report writing activity, consisting of didactic lectures and actual writing instruction, conducted for medical students since 2013. This activity is based on previous studies discussing the educational significance of writing case reports and the author’s experience. It is structured in a way that not only teaches students how to write but also motivates them. In the lecture, the educational significance of writing case reports will first be emphasized. It will also explain that various aspects of academic skills, as well as clinical skills such as diagnostic reasoning, can be enhanced through the activity. The lecture will begin with topics designed to motivate students toward case writing. First, the “new points” of a case and its clinical significance will be identified. The process is divided into four parts to facilitate learning actual case writing. The purpose and “what to do” are clearly demonstrated with examples of published case reports to avoid excessive cognitive load on the students. In addition, when teaching actual writing, we document meta-linguistic examples and provide direct corrective feedback to facilitate the transfer of writing skills. The key to sustaining the educational activities will be to archive lectures and create an educational environment that encourages students to think and write independently about their clinical experiences.