title: Visual presentation of a medical physiology seminar modifies dental students' perception of its clinical significance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary objective of this study was to assess whether exposing dental students to visual stimuli related to dental profession during the medical physiology seminar could affect their perception of the clinical relevance of the topic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire on attitudes towards medical physiology was conducted amongst 105 students of the School of Dental Medicine in Zagreb, Croatia, aged 19-24 years (80% females) following a seminar on respiratory system physiology. Power-point presentation accompanying the seminar for a total of 52 students (study group) was enriched with pictures related to dental practice in order to assess whether these pictures could make the topic appear more clinically relevant for a future dentist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the survey indicated that dental students in the study group perceived the topic of the seminar as more important for them as future dentists when compared to the perception of the control group (P = 0.025).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this survey encourage physiology lecturers to present medical physiology as clinically relevant for dental students whenever possible as this could increase students' interest in the subject and their motivation for learning. Such an approach could be particularly beneficial if there is a significant time gap between basic courses and involvement of students into clinical training for it could promote meaningful learning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vuletic
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spalj
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peros
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D017523:Croatia; D003479:Curriculum; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D018961:Educational Technology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010827:Physiology / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013664:Teaching Materials; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: basic science education; dental education; dental students; educational methodology; medical physiology