An integrative and case-based approach to the teaching of general and systemic pathology

Since 1993, the pre-clinical phase of the professional (DVM) curriculum at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine has included two pathology courses in which both anatomic and clinical pathologists collaborate to teach concepts in general and systemic pathology. Topics such as inflammation, circulatory disturbances, and neoplasia are taught in this collaborative manner in the year 1 General Pathology course, and pathology of the digestive system (including liver and pancreas), urinary system, and lymphoid system are "team-taught" in the year 2 Clinical and Systemic Pathology course. We feel that this approach gives students an appreciation of the whole-body dynamics of a disease process as it occurs in bone marrow, peripheral blood, body fluids, and tissues and that it leads to a deep understanding of pathologic processes. In addition, the use of "active learning" instructional strategies grounded in case discussions further enhances students' understanding of important concepts by demonstration of practical applications and serves to generate strong interest in learning the subject matter. Integration of concepts of pathology with those taught concurrently in other courses, such as those in physiology and microbiology, is also an important component of pathology instruction in the pre-clinical curriculum.