Student choice in medical education

Boylan , Geraldine; Hyland, Áine

Student choice in medical education

Files

Boylan - Student Choice in Medical Education Jan 09.pdf(198.82 KB)

Accepted Version

Date

2010

Authors

Boylan , Geraldine

Hyland, Áine

Publisher

Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Abstract

Medical education is evolving at a rapid pace and it is not possible to teach medical students all they need to know. Medical educators throughout the world have sought to change the way medical courses are delivered and to introduce a range of optional or elective subjects to allow students study areas of particular interest. These options are usually referred to as Student Selected Components (SSCs). These options provide students with a way to customise their own learning and to follow particular career interests. These electives are also a very useful vehicle for students to undertake research projects, particularly when they run concurrent to the core curriculum. SSCs can be used to develop diversity between medical schools as they can allow educators to develop modules in areas of particular strength at the individual institution. In the Medical School at University College Cork, students are presented with a menu of options in the first 3 years of the course which can be of 3 main types; options that go deeper than the core, those that are related to the core and those that are unrelated to the core. In this way, students are given the option to pursue a wide range of subjects which may be related to specific medical interests, to career aspirations or may simply help to broaden their development and educational experience.

Keywords

Medical education , Student Selected Components (SSCs) , University College Cork

Citation

Boylan, G. and Hyland, Á. (2010) 'Student choice in medical education', in Salerno-Kennedy, R. and O'Flynn, S. (eds.) Medical Education: The State of the Art. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., pp. 131-138.