Clinical Case‐Based Image Portfolios in Medical Histopathology

Abstract

This descriptive article describes the use of clinical case-based portfolios in histopathology teaching laboratories in conjunction with virtual microscopy not only to integrate histology and pathology disciplines for first and second year medical students but also to stimulate student engagement, promote self-directed and group-based learning and enhance student-to-student interaction in a structured manner. Portfolios consisted of PowerPoint files encompassing four to five clinical case studies relevant to the topics covered that week. Portfolios integrated study materials provided in the module-specific lectures, clinical skill lectures, and online interactive content. Two sets of portfolios, Individual and Group, were used. Individual Portfolios were completed by each student and uploaded prior to the laboratory session. Group Portfolios were completed by students working together in small groups during the laboratory session with minimal faculty assistance. The functional utility and acceptance of Individual and Group Portfolios among first- and second-year medical students was evaluated using electronic surveys and examination performances. Both first- and second-year students agreed that the use of portfolios in conjunction with virtual microscopy promoted understanding and encouraged discussion of the topics covered during the week and that group members worked well together and contributed to the completion of the portfolios. Performances on the Histology and Cell Biology and Pathology sections on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE ) remained consistent and in line with national averages. Overall, use of portfolios promoted peer teaching and contributed towards successful transition to the new system-based integrated curriculum with continued strong performance on the USMLE. Anat Sci Educ 00: 000-000. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

Medical Histopathology Laboratories: Remote Teaching in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Histopathology laboratories are considered to be a key component of the basic science curriculum as they interface closely with each of the organ-based modules. Not surprisingly, the HP laboratories have evolved continuously 4 and were recently redesigned in 2017 for first-year medical students (MS1) and in 2018 for second-year medical students (MS2) as a modified Team-Based Learning (TBL) format that is three pronged ( Figure 1B).…”

“…The TAE component has been assessed previously and was well-liked by students. 4 The final component of the session is the Team Laboratory Quiz (tLab), a graded, closed-book quiz taken by each team at the end of the laboratory. The tLab consists of a set of 10 text or image-based questions in Canvas to be completed in 20 minutes.…”

Fostering intrinsic motivation in remote undergraduate histopathology education

“…5 Digital resources in histopathology education have been evolving over the last two decades. 6 Virtual microscopy presents an advantageous platform to present high-quality resources which can be accessed remotely and is transforming pathology education. 7 The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need to digitise resources.…”

A survey on the attitudes of Chinese medical students towards current pathology education

“…In fact, we tried to increase the number of clinical cases in our online course Systemic Pathology last year, and we received much positive feedback. Moreover, one previous study also illustrated the benefits of applying clinical case-based image portfolios in histopathology education [9]. Lively and interesting classes are widely welcomed, which was supported by another survey showing that most medical students affirm the use of humor in medical didactics [10].…”