title: Teaching clinical pharmacology and therapeutics with an emphasis on the therapeutic reasoning of undergraduate medical students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The rational prescribing of drugs is an essential skill of medical doctors. Clinical pharmacologists play an important role in the development of these skills by teaching clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CP&T) to undergraduate medical students. Although the approaches to teaching CP&T have undergone many changes over the last decennia, it is essential that the actual teaching of CP&T continues to be a major part of the undergraduate medical curriculum.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The learning objectives of CP&T teaching in terms of developing the therapeutic competencies of undergraduate medical students are described, with an emphasis on therapeutic decision-making. On the basis of current theories of cognitive psychology and medical education, context-learning is presented as an effective approach by which to achieve therapeutic competencies. An example of a CP&T curriculum is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Section Pharmacotherapy, VU University Medical Center (VUMC), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Milan C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Richir
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tichelaar
authors.forename: Eric C T
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Geijteman
authors.forename: Theo P G M
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: de Vries
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D003657:Decision Making; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D010601:Pharmacology, Clinical / Q000193:education* / Q000266:history; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods