Insertion of medical biophysics in the integrated medical curriculum

ABSTRACT

Background: Despite the definition of medical biophysics as interdisciplinary field, using the principles and laws of the physics sciences to describe and investigate biological processes for the purpose of medical application, the results and outcome of insertion of medical biophysics in the medical curriculum have no longer emerged and many medical schools restrict the medical biophysics to the preparatory phase or maximum in the basic years and omit it completely in clinical years. Objective: The objective of the study is to emerge our experience in the insertion of medical biophysics in the integrated medical curriculum in its two forms; horizontal and vertical and reveal its outcome in the student achievement in the whole curriculum. Materials and Methods: Following the Kern’s six steps for curriculum development to plan and implement the medical biophysics in the medical curriculum. The questionnaire was applied to measure the degree of students satisfaction about all Kern’ steps of the medical biophysics course. One-way ANOVA was used to estimate the degree of satisfaction about all Kern’ steps. Results: Goals and objectives (step 3) revealed the followings students showing strongly satisfied (86; 57.3%), satisfied (44; 29.3%), neutral (3; 2%) dissatisfied (11; 7.3%) and strongly dissatisfied (6; 4%) with significant P value obtained. For educational strategies (step 4) students showed strongly satisfied (55; 36.6%), satisfied (45; 30%), neutral (10; 6.6%), dissatisfied (23; 15.3%), and strongly dissatisfied (17; 11.3%). While the students satisfaction regarding the implementation step (step 5) revealed strongly satisfied (65; 43.3%), satisfied (41; 27.3%), neutral (12; 8%), dissatisfied (22; 14.6%) and strongly dissatisfied (10; 6.6%). Regarding the students assessment step (step 6) strongly satisfied (25; 16.6%), satisfied (45; 30%), neutral (9; 6%), dissatisfied (32; 21.3%) and strongly dissatisfied (29; 19.3%). Conclusion: Medical biophysics is an interdisciplinary field and is considered a good example of integration at a high level. Hence, it must be heavily addressed in the medical curriculum to facilitate the understanding of major new approaches in the disease and cosmetic management that appeared in recent years and considered a new era in medicine.