Voluntary election of basic science courses by medical students.
The medical curriculum at the University of Washington places considerable responsibility on the student in planning his education. This is provided for by assigning to elective courses 50 percent of the credits required for graduation. While the student has considerable freedom to choose among electives, as many credits are elected in the basic sciences as in the clinical disciplines. Four consecutive entering classes elected a disproportionately high number of credits in anatomy and pharmacology. A need for basic science courses in apparently perceived by the medical student, and their voluntary election is bound to facilitate learning. In new curricula the responsibility rests on the faculty to provide opportunities for detailed coverage of the various disciplines in order to cater to those students who are motivated to pursue them in greater depth.
D000715:Anatomy / Q000193:education; D003479:Curriculum; D003657:Decision Making; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D010600:Pharmacology / Q000193:education; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012586:Science; D013337:Students, Medical; D014836:Volition; D014861:Washington