INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES IN TEACHING OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES TO HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Knowledge and skills in biomedical sciences have reached a level, which is difficult to pass on to students in the traditional one to two years by traditional lecture methods and are still expanding. Recently, innovative methods of enabling the students to acquire the knowledge and skills have been evolved, and include student-centered and problem-based learning strategies, among others. These are strategies in which the student is taught how to learn for him/her self and then becomes responsible for his/her own learning with a certain minimum amount of guidance from the teachers. Other advantages of using these strategies of learning and teaching include development of competencies in continuous self and peer evaluation, self-directed learning leading to continuing medical education for life, team work, professionalism and professional ethics. These strategies also increase the chances of attitudinal molding, enhancing good personal characteristics while discouraging bad ones. Communication skills are greatly enhanced.