ERIC Number: EJ1419198
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1470-8175
EISSN: EISSN-1539-3429
A Challenge-Based Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Concept Fostering Translational Medicine
Floris A. Valentijn; Michael Y. Schakelaar; Maria A. Hegeman; Willemijn D. Schot; Wim J. A. G. Dictus; Sandra Crnko; Toine ten Broeke; Niels Bovenschen
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, v52 n2 p198-209 2024
Translational medicine (TM) is an interdisciplinary branch of biomedicine that bridges the gap from bench-to-bedside to improve global health. Fundamental TM skills include interdisciplinary collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving (4Cs). TM is currently limited in undergraduate biomedical education programs, with little patient contact and opportunities for collaboration between different disciplines. In this study, we developed and evaluated a novel interdisciplinary challenge-based educational concept, grounded in the theoretical framework of experimental research-based education, to implement TM in undergraduate biomedicine and medicine programs. Students were introduced to an authentic clinical problem through an interdisciplinary session with patients, medical doctors, and scientists. Next, students collaborated in groups to design unique laboratory-based research proposals addressing this problem. Stakeholders subsequently rewarded the best proposal with funding to be executed in a consecutive interdisciplinary laboratory course, in which mixed teams of biomedicine and medicine students performed the research in a fully equipped wet laboratory. Written questionnaires and focus groups revealed that students developed 4C skills and acquired a 4C mindset. Working on an authentic patient case and the interdisciplinary setting positively contributed to communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills. Furthermore, students were intrinsically motivated by (i) the relevance of their work that made them feel taken seriously and competent, (ii) the patient involvement that highlighted the societal relevance of their work, and (iii) the acquisition of a realistic view of what doing science in a biomedical research laboratory is. In conclusion, we showcase a widely applicable interdisciplinary challenge-based undergraduate concept fostering TM.
Descriptors: Barriers, Interdisciplinary Approach, Patients, Physicians, Laboratory Experiments, Biomedicine, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Undergraduate Students, Cooperative Learning, Research Proposals, Financial Support, Creativity, Communication Skills, Medical Education
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A