In this issue:

  TMDU curriculum reform turns to problem-based learning

  Dubai Healthcare City leads Arab Health 2005 exhibitors, helps launch new magazine for health care professionals

  Phyathai Hospital Company brings new outlook to partnership with HMI

  Surgical training course to be on display at upcoming conference

  Applications being accepted for GEMI Fund awards to support research in gas-enabled medicine

From left to right: Frank Christ; Katsuiku Hirokawa, vice president of TMDU; Elizabeth Armstrong; and Luke Sato.

TMDU curriculum reform turns to problem-based learning
Since partnering with HMI in 2002, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) has been working to implement a hybrid curriculum utilizing problem-based learning (PBL). In February, TMDU welcomed three HMI faculty members to Tokyo for a three-day workshop. The program was designed to help the faculty of TMDU develop strategies for energizing the classroom through teaching approaches that emphasize interaction, communication, and active learning.

Problem-based learning is a major component of Harvard Medical School’s New Pathway curriculum. The idea is simple: the student encounters a problem that must be solved, and from there works toward an understanding of it and a resolution. The process brings together elements of both basic science and clinical skills.

“There is a significant body of evidence supporting problem-based learning in medical education,” said Elizabeth Armstrong, PhD, HMI director of education programs. “Studies have shown that active learning strategies improve knowledge retention, and group learning facilitates the acquisition of communication skills and helps medical students learn how to work as a team. In addition, students who go through a problem-based learning curriculum tend to develop a rich appreciation for communication skills and recognize the therapeutic benefit this can have for patients.”

Luke Sato, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a tutor for more than 10 years in the school’s neuroscience courses, demonstrated a tutorial with eight volunteer students from TMDU. A native of Japan, Sato was curious about how his fluency in Japanese would affect the tutorial. As he proceeded with his demonstration, he made an interesting realization. “Teaching and facilitating a group dynamic is not just about being able to connect through words, or using the appropriate terminology. Body language is also very important,” he said.

Said Armstrong, “I was very encouraged to hear the students say that they like this kind of teaching because it makes them think, it makes them go to the literature, and it prompts them to ask questions” She added that these are exactly the qualities that patients desire in their physicians.

Frank Christ, associate professor of anesthesiology at Ludwig Maximilians University, was the third member of the HMI faculty. Christ, who has played a key role in curriculum reform efforts at his home institution in Munich, Germany, has been passing on his experience to the TMDU faculty for the duration of this partnership.

As TMDU continues to reshape its curriculum to meet the evolving demands of medical education, it is important to note that the initiative involves more than just changing the content of courses. This is a fundamental culture change, and so workshops like this are critical for building support for new teaching strategies and creating an environment where faculty members can share and test out new ideas. Sato, who is familiar with the challenges facing the TMDU faculty, said, “I was very impressed by the considerable progress TMDU has made thus far in reforming its curriculum. The culture of Japanese universities is generally resistant to change, but TMDU has committed to tackling this initiative.”

Dubai Healthcare City leads Arab Health 2005 exhibitors, helps launch new magazine for health care professionals
Excitement continues to build in the Middle East around the rapid development of Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC). In February, the Dubai International Exhibition Centre was the site for Arab Health 2005, the Gulf Region’s largest health care conference. The four-day conference attracted more than 30,000 visitors from an estimated 2,500 companies in more than 50 countries. DHCC served as the top sponsor for the event, and members of its team were on hand to present the latest developments. Omar Al Shunnar, DHCC’s chief sales and marketing officer, said, “Our participation at this level is a clear indication of our full commitment to provide health care services of international quality for the region.”

Another piece of the DHCC mission has fallen into place with the launch of Healthcare Middle East, a monthly magazine designed to provide health care professionals in the region with up-to-date news and research. A collaboration of DHCC, HMI, and the respected publisher ITP, Healthcare Middle East contains a wide range of content, from the latest research being conducted in critical disease areas to guidelines for practicing physicians. To subscribe, visit the ITP website at www.itp.net/subscriptions.

Phyathai Hospital Company brings new outlook to partnership with HMI
Phyathai Hospital Company (PYT) and HMI are poised to enter a new phase in this long-standing partnership following a series of discussions in Boston. With new leadership in place, the Bangkok-based health care provider is working to implement a strategic plan aimed at developing its hospital network into a center of excellence for cardiac care and other specialties.

The PYT delegation was led by Mr. Wichai Thongtang, chairman of the board of directors for the hospital group. “Mr. Thongtang has assembled an excellent team with a firm grasp on the realities of the health care industry in Thailand and the ability and willingness to think through their strategic vision going forward,” said Andrew Jeon, MD, MBA, HMI executive vice president and chief operating officer.

PYT is focusing its energy on five key areas: clinical staff, facilities development, state-of-the-art medical technology, operations, and product development. While in Boston, the PYT team got an inside look at some of Harvard Medical School’s most advanced multidisciplinary care clinics and centers of excellence.

During the economic crisis that leveled Thailand starting in 1997, PYT was forced to restructure and reevaluate its strategic direction. In 2004, with an economic recovery well underway, PYT conceived a new plan backed by a new board of directors and management team. Now the group hopes to create synergies across its three hospitals that help to support both high-quality health care delivery and operational sophistication.

Att Thongtang, PYT’s managing director, said that the group will look to its clinical staff for leadership. “We want to recruit top doctors who are interested in developing the fundamentals to drive improvement,” he said.

Kraivin Srikraivin, deputy managing director, said, “We need champion doctors who are interested in creating clinical care plans and team-based care,” and added that it would be crucial for PYT to recruit physicians who appreciate the concept of consumer-focused care.

A team from HMI’s health systems division will visit PYT in the spring, and in the meantime the partners will revise their original agreement to align the work ahead with PYT’s evolving needs. “We are excited about the opportunity to renew our collaboration with the Phyathai Hospitals,” said Jeon.

At the conference, HMI will be offering two-week free trials to anyone interested in having full access to the program. Those who purchase 12-month subscriptions at the conference will receive an additional three months of usage at no charge. This is expected to be especially helpful for medical students who have recently matched in general surgery and can use BeST to prepare for their residency. Residents can also subscribe to the online course throughout their training to prepare for the ABSITE.

BeST Resident provides 180 hours of online interactive general surgical training and includes ABSITE-format multiple-choice questions that provide feedback and guide further review. It has proved an important resource for residents preparing for the ABSITE, especially for reviewing physiology and pathology. BeST Resident complements faculty teaching, presents interactive case studies, and offers resident performance and progress tracking.

In addition to Harvard Medical School, BeST Resident has been used at over 40 academic sites around the United States, and in eight countries around the world. To learn more about BeST Resident, visit the website at www.intumed.com. Additional questions about BeST Resident or other online learning programs offered by HMI may be addressed to elearning@hms.harvard.edu.

Applications being accepted for GEMI Fund awards to support research in gas-enabled medicine
For the second time, HMI will join AGA Linde Healthcare and the Karolinska Intitutute of Sweden to honor researchers in the emerging field of gas-enabled medicine. The GEMI Fund distributes $1 million among scientists every two years to advance the clinical use of gas.

The first GEMI Fund winners. At far left is Dr. Louis Ignarro, the Nobel Laureate who was the keynote speaker for the 2003 awards ceremony.

In October 2003, the GEMI Fund provided a significant boost to the efforts of seven scientists, whose research covered a diversity of gas-enabled medical innovation, from the use of specific gases in magnetic resonance imaging to the effects of gases on wound healing. Largely unexplored just a few years ago, today gas-enabled medicine carries huge potential to create therapeutic and diagnostic solutions to address medical needs.

The next GEMI Fund awards will be granted in September 2005. The deadline for applications is April 18, 2005. For more information about the application process, or to read about the first GEMI Fund awardees, visit the website at www.gemifund.org.

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