Science education for tomorrow's health professionals
Journal
Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
Journal Volume
28
Journal Issue
2 SUPPL.
Date Issued
2012
Author(s)
Abstract
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” -Albert Einstein Modern holistic medical education aims to equip medical professionals with both professionalism and compassion humanism to enhance the quality of medical care. The Annual Conference on Medical Professionalism and Humanities was held to promote these ultimate aspirations. The main theme of the 2009 Conference was on Science Education for Tomorrow's Health Professionals, bringing together researchers and experts in all areas of science to explore dialogue between the Humanities, the Arts and Sciences, as well as to share new concepts and strategies for building a solid science foundation for future medical professionals. Medical science is a marriage of several basic sciences, including human physiology, biophysics, and biochemistry. Medical research subscribes completely to the protocols of scientific research. Therefore, there is no doubt that science education is a fundamental and critical course in medical education. It is also the foundation for evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice that aims to apply the best available evidence obtained by the scientific method to clinical decision-making. With the rapid development of scientific knowledge and technology, it is the responsibility of medical educators to incorporate new knowledge into modern science education for tomorrow's health professionals to solve tomorrow's medical problems. The six articles presented in this special issue of the Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences provide new concepts of science and medicine in the Humanities, new concepts of medical science, and examples of the critical role of basic science in medical education. The first article by Wang, Stocker and Fu, titled “New Conceptions of Science and Medicine in Science and Technology Studies: Their Relevance to Science Education,” highlights the significance of some of the major works in the area of Science, Technology, and Society (STS). It also illustrates the ways in which STS perspectives can enhance our understanding of science and technology and their relationships with society. In the second article, titled “Teaching Professionalism in Science Courses: Anatomy to Zoology,” Macpherson explores topics and formats that scientists may find useful in teaching professional attitudes, skills, and competencies in their medical curriculum. The third article, “Biomechanics of Human Movement and Its Clinical Applications” by Lu and Chang, reviews the history and development of theoretical and experimental methodologies of human movement biomechanics, and it demonstrates the use of biomechanical and human motion analysis techniques to address clinical issues. The fourth article by Yoshioka, titled “Physical Aspects of Medical Science,” gives two specific examples of how physical concepts are used to elucidate the mechanism of vision. Next, Hsu's article, “Physics Teaching in Taiwan's Medical Schools,” explores the development of the general physics curriculum for medical students in Taiwan, and the article proposes an approach to designing a general physics course in combination with its applications to the medical sciences. Finally, “Applying Principles from ‘Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians’ to Teaching Chemistry in the Department of Medicine at Chang Gung University” by Lou, shares the author's experiences of teaching biological concepts in courses of chemical and physical principles in a medical school. With these new ideas about science and medicine in the Humanities, and with new thoughts on medical science education provided in these six articles, I hope that you will be inspired to raise the level of thinking about science education for tomorrow's health professionals.
SDGs
Other Subjects
biomechanics; clinical decision making; curriculum; editorial; evidence based practice; health practitioner; human; humanism; medical education; medical literature; medical research; medicine; movement (physiology); personal experience; physics; professional competence; professionalism; science; society; teaching; technology; Congresses as Topic; Health Personnel; Humans; Science
Type
other