Digital Histology Interest Group or DHIG

Dear Colleagues,

I am facilitating  a focus session at the IAMSE 2019 meeting Assessing desired abilities: exploring provision of basic science reference materials for exams.  This session is a follow-up to the 2018 IAMSE session ("Better aligning USMLE step exams with what we actually want students to be able to do: what's your disciplines' metabolic map?") during which participants agreed that educators have a critical role in ensuring that foundational science assessment focuses on deeper understanding, rather than rote memorization. They proposed a "wish list" of several areas of content/resources that represent material that should not be memorized. One such resource, the metabolic map, is a result of a recent collaboration between Association of Biochemistry Educators members and the NBME. Early work suggested movement toward reducing emphasis on memorization, but, to date, implementation of a metabolic biochemistry map as a reference on Step 1 has not occurred.

A key question remains: how do we align what seems appropriate for students' learning versus what we know may be tested on USMLE Step 1/other board exams. Further, we know that advocacy is needed to move this effort forward, through aligned communications between 1) educators who can identify resources and test their impact locally, 2) discipline-specific organizations that can facilitate discussion of the issues and communicate the organization's stance, and 3) NBME. 

I would like to gather the opinions of AAA members concerning resources that may be provided on assessments for anatomy, histology and embryology. I will present this data at the 2019 IAMSE Meeting as part of a workshop as part of a process to identify the next steps in testing new resources within each discipline that support application rather than rote memorization. I will be happy to then share the results of our focus group with AAA members in hopes that we can identify ways for us to move forward, as individuals at our local institutions, as discipline- and AAA-specific groups at the national level.

I anticipate this survey will take 5 minutes  to complete. The University of Utah has determined that this survey does not require IRB approval. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RYRJWHT

I appreciate your input. 

Best, 

Kathy 

Lisa,

Thanks for the question about "resources/references" as it allows me to clarify that question. What we would like to know is whether you provide your students with information that they might otherwise have to memorize OR that in practice, they might just look up (or learn over time in the context of patient care, for example normal blood pressures for infants and children).  Many of us give students normal lab values so that they do not have to memorize them. Another example is the metabolic map, which is a searchable map of biochemical pathways. Physiologists might give students specific formulas.  Students still need to apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to answer the questions. 

Hope this helps!

Kathy