TEACHING IN A CONNECTED WORLD: NEW APPROACHES IN TEACHING BIOCHEMISTRY ADOPTED AT THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF VARNA, BULGARIA

Abstract

This paper aims at improving the content of the biochemistry curriculum and the methods by which it was delivered at the Medical University of Varna in terms of course content, examination standards and obtaining a feedback from the students. The paper presents two-year follow-up outcomes. A working collaboration was established with two Western European Universities, the University of Marburg, Germany and the University of Dundee, UK. The innovative teaching methodology developed and used in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Dundee was adopted considering the particular circumstances in the Medical University of Varna. The content of the basic biochemistry course was revised and expanded emphasizing the molecular basis of metabolic variation between different organs and molecular events and clinical medicine. New clinically case-oriented studies of biochemically-based disorders were introduced for the first time in the basic biochemistry course in the form of tutorials and discussion sessions with the students. The laboratory classes in biochemistry were deleted and replaced by demonstrations and clinical laboratory tests, together with tutorial and group activity sessions. New interactive small group methods were adopted in our teaching with the aim to ensure better understanding and accessibility of the teaching material. One free elective discipline entitled "Molecular biology in medicine" has been introduced. A system for obtaining students' opinions about the courses and new teaching methods using feedback questionnaires was adopted.