Teaching in the MDProgram

The key concepts are:                                              

• • Optimal learning ultimately involves optimal use of memory
  • Memory is the ability to store, retain and recall information
  • Memory involves 3 key steps:
  • Encoding information
  • Organizational structure
  • Helped by attaching basic science explanations
  • Storing information:
  • Uses working memory, which is limited is space (3-4 major concepts) and time (concepts lost if not rehearsed in 30 seconds)
  • Retrieving information:
  • Forgetting is a failure of retrieval, not storage

Optimized by:

• • Dispersing our teaching (better than teaching in “blocks”)
  • Forcing students to retrieve as much as possible (reviews, quizzes….)
  • Aligning learning and retrieval contexts (helps knowledge transfer)
  • Medical problem solving is complex, but involves fundamentally two “systems”:

System 1:

• • Aka pattern recognition, instinct, mental short-cuts (heuristics), non-analytical
  • Involves, often subconsciously, recognition of “key features”
  • “key features” can and should be taught overtly (e.g. make them objectives for each small group)

System 2:

• • Aka analytical reasoning (e.g. scheme-inductive, probability-based, hypothetico-deductive reasoning) 

These are the five philosophies we strive for in UME:

1. Help students encode/organize their knowledge by providing them a structure and basic science underpinnings
2. Less is more [helps storage in memory]
3. Disperse learning [helps retrieval from memory]
4. If you are having trouble retrieving: do more retrieving! [quizzes]
5. Try to make overt what unconsciously occurs in experts’ minds [“key features” teaching]