Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1999

What is Patient-centred Learning? Endless Strive for Progress A Curriculum Reform Committee was set up in the Faculty o f Medicine early thi s year to plan and review the medical curriculum. Convener of the committee Prof. T.F. Fok revealed the faculty's decision to implement patient-centred teaching ill two years' time. The original curriculum in the 1980s was modelle d after the traditional British system with the first two years devoted to classroom teaching of pre-clinical subjects, and the third and thereafter to the teaching of clinical subjects in the hospital. However, Prof. Fok stressed that the faculty's curriculum is not simply a reproduction of the British model: 'Since it s founding, the faculty under the leadership of it s successive deans has continuously reviewed and reformed its curriculum, amending, dropping and adding on in accordance with changes in demand and advances in technology. The views of external experts were also considered. Curriculum Day was begun 15 years ago to give teachers a chance to exchange views on teaching and the curriculum each year.' The students have also been requested to evaluate the contents and teacher performance of each subject using the curriculum evaluation software designed by the faculty. Prof. T.F. Fok Learning Means Little Without Reflection In the last 15 years the growth of medical knowledg e both i n breadth and in depth has been monumental. Students are often overwhelmed by the avalanche of medical information and lack time for reflection. Yet ‘Learning means little without reflection,' Prof. Fok said. The faculty understands that it is onl y by continuously amending the curriculum that it can prevent overdosing students with textbook knowledge and nurture doctors with wisdom and competence. The question is how? Excellence in Moderation Originating in North America, Problem-based Teaching is a method of learning (or teaching) in wh i ch students search for information and solutions to problems under the guidance o f teachers, and through the process build up their self- learning ability. Yet there is no convincing evidence that thi s mode o f l ea r n i ng p r o d u c es be t t e r d o c t o r s . Be s i d e s, 'Secondary students in Hong Kong are used to a mode of learning different fro m that of students in North America. Hence we should not assume that fresh medica l students in Hong Kong learn medicine better using this approach. We have to Medical students during lab Medical Teaching and Research at CUHK 5