Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Eating the curriculum

K M Hunter1

  • 1Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008, USA.

Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
|March 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Medical education uses "alimentary" metaphors, likening learning to eating. This approach, while common, can infantilize students and hinder true intellectual nourishment. Reforms should foster self-directed learning for healthier, more curious physicians.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The drover's wife and the drover's daughter: histories of single farming women and debates in Australian historiography.

Rural history : economy, society, culture·2009
Same author

HLA class II typing of whole genome amplified mouth swab DNA.

Tissue antigens·2001
Same author

Direct interaction of Smn with dp103, a putative RNA helicase: a role for Smn in transcription regulation?

Human molecular genetics·2000
Same author

MR imaging of a hemorrhagic and granulomatous cyst of the ligamentum flavum with pathologic correlation.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·1999
Same author

Fine mapping of the diabetes-susceptibility locus, IDDM4, on chromosome 11q13.

American journal of human genetics·1998
Same author

Transmission of haplotypes of microsatellite markers rather than single marker alleles in the mapping of a putative type 1 diabetes susceptibility gene (IDDM6).

Human molecular genetics·1998
Same journal

Ten-year outcomes from the Columbia-Bassett program: a model for strengthening the underserved health workforce.

Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·2026
Same journal

Artificial intelligence teaching assistants: a scalable solution for supporting struggling medical students.

Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·2026
Same journal

MDCU MedUMORE: a national digital platform for equitable and lifelong medical education in Thailand and beyond.

Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·2026
Same journal

The Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program: A Model for Increasing Diversity in Surgical Specialties.

Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·2026
Same journal

Toward a global ecosystem for health professions education: harnessing open educational resources and generative AI with shared governance.

Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·2026
Same journal

Associations of marital status with well-being and career intentions among medical residents: a national survey in Japan.

Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Medical Education
  • Cognitive Science
  • Educational Philosophy

Background:

  • The common use of alimentary metaphors (e.g., 'spoon-feeding,' 'digesting information') in medical education is deeply ingrained.
  • These metaphors shape attitudes, curriculum discussions, and the teacher-learner dynamic, often leading to an infantilization of students.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the impact of alimentary metaphors on medical education.
  • To propose a healthier educational philosophy that moves beyond passive information consumption.
  • To advocate for curriculum reform that empowers students as active learners.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative analysis of the prevalent use of alimentary metaphors in medical education discourse.
  • Exploration of the psychological and pedagogical implications of these metaphors.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Drawing parallels with child development and nutrition principles for educational reform.

    • Main Results:

    • Alimentary metaphors, while seemingly descriptive, can perpetuate negative attitudes and hinder intellectual growth by framing students as passive recipients.
    • Despite being metaphorically 'fed,' students often remain intellectually 'starving' due to the passive nature of this learning model.
    • The current model risks producing physicians who lack intellectual curiosity and self-directed learning skills.

    Conclusions:

    • Fundamental curriculum reform is necessary to shift from passive 'ingestion' to active 'healthy eating' of knowledge.
    • Medical education should aim to cultivate physicians who are intellectually curious, self-motivated, and capable of lifelong learning.
    • Empowering students to manage their own learning fosters critical thinking, skepticism, and intellectual self-sufficiency.