Immune Response to Bacteria: An Integrated Learning Module to Enhance Preclinical Students' Competency in Immunology

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Immunology
• Pathology

Background:

• Medical students struggle to integrate basic science, particularly immunology, with clinical knowledge.
• Competency requires applying immune mechanisms to diagnosis and treatment.
• A comprehensive 'big picture' of immune responses is often lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an updated, narrated audiovisual module on immune response to extracellular microbes.
• To integrate histopathology, self-assessment quizzes, and clinical vignettes.
• To address student requests for better integration of basic and clinical sciences.

Main Methods:

• An updated narrated audiovisual module was created based on a previous diagram.
• The module included integrated histopathology, a self-assessment quiz, and a clinical vignette.
• Module usage was tracked, and student perceptions were gathered via an in-class survey.

Main Results:

• 76% of first-year medical students (82/102) utilized the module.
• Over 85% of surveyed students found the module useful for learning and review.
• More than 90% reported improved understanding of the 'big picture' and identified study areas.

Conclusions:

• The module effectively synthesizes immunologic mechanisms in bacterial infections for preclinical students.
• It integrates multiple disciplines, aiding learning and application of complex immunology and pathology concepts.
• The resource was developed based on direct student feedback and suggestions.