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Endocrine physiology in a patient-centered learning curriculum.
R C Vari1, K E Borg, V L McCleary
1Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics and Office of Medical Education, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA. rdvari@medicine.nodak.edu
Advances in Physiology Education
|February 5, 2002
Summary
The University of North Dakota redesigned its medical curriculum to a hybrid model, reducing lecture hours by 65% and emphasizing patient-centered learning (PCL) for physiology education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Physiology Curriculum Design
Background:
- The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences implemented a new curriculum.
- This curriculum is a problem-based/traditional hybrid model.
- It uses an integrated organ systems-based approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the redesigned medical curriculum at UND.
- To detail the patient-centered learning (PCL) approach.
- To highlight the endocrine physiology component within the new curriculum.
Main Methods:
- Reduced general lecture hours by 65%, particularly in physiology.
- Implemented small group, faculty-facilitated learning.
- Centered curriculum around patient cases for integrated science learning.
Main Results:
- Students engage in self-directed learning.
- Endocrine physiology is taught in year one with a focus on normal function.
- Endocrine physiology is revisited in year two, focusing on pathobiology.
Conclusions:
- The PCL curriculum effectively integrates basic and clinical sciences.
- The endocrine component emphasizes both normal physiology and pathobiology.
- This model fosters active student learning and case-based understanding.
Related Concept Videos
01:45Endocrine Signaling
Endocrine cells produce hormones to communicate with remote target cells found in other organs. The hormone reaches these distant areas using the circulatory system. This exposes the whole organism to the hormone but only those cells expressing hormone receptors or target cells are affected. Thus, endocrine signaling induces slow responses from its target cells but these effects also last longer.
01:01Feedback Loops
In most cases, excessive hormone production is prevented by negative feedback—a loop that starts with a stimulus inducing the release of a particular substance, like a hormone, to maintain a certain level before triggering a signal that results in a decrease in further release of the hormone.
01:45Endocrine Signaling
Endocrine cells produce hormones to communicate with remote target cells found in other organs. The hormone reaches these distant areas using the circulatory system. This exposes the whole organism to the hormone but only those cells expressing hormone receptors or target cells are affected. Thus, endocrine signaling induces slow responses from its target cells but these effects also last longer.
01:10An Overview of the Endocrine System
The endocrine system, a complex network of glands, orchestrates physiological balance within the body through the production and secretion of hormones. These hormones are chemical messengers in intercellular communication, acting as conduits between the secretory cells and distant target sites. They traverse the circulatory system by being released into the extracellular fluid, and their impact is specific to cells possessing receptors for a particular hormone.
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The endocrine system collaborates...
00:59Structures of the Endocrine System
The intricate framework of the endocrine system encompasses a diverse array of glands, with their target tissues and organs strategically distributed throughout the body. Central to this network are the endocrine glands, specialized structures that lack ducts and release hormones directly into the interstitial fluid. Notably, the hypothalamus, a vital neuroendocrine organ situated in the brain, governs neural functions and serves as a potent source of hormonal regulation. Near the hypothalamus...
01:19Regulation of Hormone Secretion
Regulation of hormone secretion is a finely tuned orchestration driven by various types of stimuli, encompassing neural, humoral, and hormonal signals. Environmental cues instigate neural stimuli, where action potentials traverse nerve fibers to reach their designated targets. An illustrative scenario is the body's response to stress, wherein the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine from the adrenal glands, inducing the well-known 'fight or flight' reaction.
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