Teaching medical students - a brimming cup

If part of your profession happens to be teaching first year medical students after specialization in a non-clinical subject following a medical degree, that would describe me (along with my other colleagues here and elsewhere in the country). You find yourself in an environment that is invigorating and vibrant. More so if you live within the college campus as I do. In this post I would like to describe my experience of interacting with the first year medical students in the class room.

It is the first day in college. Classes are beginning after a hectic period of orientation. Henceforth there is a strict time table to follow which will rule the brand new medical students lives from 8 am to 5 pm each day. The students march in for their very first class. The lecture is scheduled at 8 am.

They come in quietly, unsure of what is in store not only for that day but for the next four and a half years. The room is quiet. Each student seems so committed, as determination shines in their faces to give their all to this noble profession. The faculty member dedicated to take the series of lectures in a particular topic walks in ( here it is me, could be any teacher in any medical college). 60 students stand up and greet the faculty member in a chorus. They sit down solemnly and are ready with the notebooks determined to jot down every alphabet, punctuation, line and rhyme uttered. The lecture begins, proceeds smoothly and the one hour class comes to a close. Any questions, any doubts the faculty member asks... A hushed silence is followed by hesitant shuffling and a few hesitant questions. The students walk out to the next lecture hall for another lecture.

The scene now shifts down the ages...... 5-7 months later.

It is the 8 am lecture class again and students enter the class room. Let us say they trickle in initially and then kind of flood in when the clock says 8 and the minutes tick away. Let me describe this scene of entry into the classroom which has many a time sent my colleagues and me into rib tickling laughter. This is the way we see it- three groups with very distinct characteristics.

The first group is where the majority belong. These students stroll, saunter, amble and meander their way into the classroom. There is a cloud of lassitude around each of them, an envelope of boredom. There is no urgency of any type. They take their places. They reach in time for the class.

Secondly there is a group which probably has woken up at 8 am and hopes to reach the class room too by 8 am. It is very vital that the faculty member does not choose this moment to enter the class room. This group attempts all types of acrobatics based entry. They leap up the stairs, fly, jump, attempt long jumps and if need be even high jumps. From my observation, for one of my colleague's class, I saw a feat, where the student comes flying on a bicycle, and with a single movement manages to both stop the bicycle and leap up onto the 3rd stair at the same time! A suitable candidate for making split second based decisions! (hopefully this will come handy, when he graduates as a doctor)

The class room door is shut by 8.05 am as punctuality is stressed as a valuable trait to be nurtured (more so on observing the above said).

The faculty member starts taking the roll call from the attendance register. Then come a quick succession of yes ma'am in all kinds of voices- gruff, sweet, hoarse, soft, loud, enthusiastic etc... Suddenly the teacher finds that the voice matching the name is heard but it is not emanating from within the class room. Confused she looks around right, left and front..... A moment of confusion reigns!

Aha! This is the third and last major sub group. The ones who come late and yet cherish the fond hope to enter the class room. They are strong willed, have awaken probably at 8.05 am and make it to the class room by 8.10- 8.15 am. Resolutely they stand outside when the attendance roll is called out. When their names are heard, they shout loudly from outside, reiterating their desire to enter. The entire class bursts into laughter. There is a round of applause for these brave souls.

Attendance over, the teacher too is overwhelmed with their enthusiasm and lets them in with a stern warning of "no repetition" of such behaviour.

There are other subgroups as well.. But currently, I will not go into their group dynamic characteristics.

The lecture begins, and here is where other antics are observed.

Some have an attentive appearance but are quiescently sleeping. Some are restless while some are whispering in groups of 2 or sometimes 3. There appears to be a seperate class going on between themselves. Some are listening to their i-pods. There are some with rapt faces of attention but actually reading for a test in another subject. There are some who are avid note jotters while others who detest wasting energy in any form of writing and become arthritic. Amidst these, there are the MODEL students (God be blessed for their presence!) who follow every word ardently and question intelligently. This motley bunch of a class make teaching a challenge worth to be taken. All activities proceed simultaneously and the lectureeeeeeeeee finallyyyyyyyyyy comes to an end.
The teacher and students disperse both satisfied and secure in the knowledge of "mission accomplished"!

What I have hoped to bring to your view is the change that has occurred (see third para)..... The evolving of serious faced youngsters at the beginning of the course to a state of brownian motion. This is one area where every teacher worth his/her salt faces a constant challenge. The situation calls for constant evolution on the part of teachers too. New strategies and tactics are called for. A challenge to which we must be adequately equipped with to deal! A horizon distant enough to reach, nevertheless try WE MUST!