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Training the trainer for team-based learning

People talking at round tables in a learning classroom. Photo.
Workshop in team-based learning at Forum Medicum. Photo: Linda Palmqvist

Around 40 physicians from different specialist areas are now being trained in team-based learning, TBL, a pedagogical approach that will better equip future medical students for a complex reality.
“We work according to a vision of how healthcare should work," says programme director Sara Regnér.

The new six-year medical programme, launched in autumn 2021, has a new curriculum and new qualitative targets. The first students will graduate in the spring semester of 2027. According to the new qualitative targets, students should be more independent and be able to critically review information, write prescriptions and care certificates. They must therefore be trained to make priorities, make difficult decisions and be faced with ethical issues.

“These are complex tasks that you cannot solve yourself and therefore you need to learn to reflect with others in a group where there are several experts on site at the same time. It is important that the students learn this way of working at an early stage," says programme director Sara Regnér.

Producing learning material

The teachers responsible for semester 11 and 12 meet regularly to discuss the method in workshops and digital meetings in order to prepare for teaching in accordance with the new pedagogy. They are also developing the course learning material together. In addition to the common subjects, the programme also includes sub-themes such as equal care, global health, patient safety and domestic violence. Several subject and theme experts collaborate on common learning materials.

“The aim is to create consensus between the teachers so that they educate in the same way, but not about the same things, and that the degree of difficulty increases between semesters," says Veronica Milos Nymberg, general practitioner and course coordinator at T11 today, leading the group collaboration together with Sara Regnér.

Courses at MedCUL

The inspiration for the pedagogical approach comes from the United States and the University of Oklahoma. The creator of TBL, Larry Michelsen, visited the faculty in connection with the opening of Forum Medicum and the ambition is for the course to be included in the range of educational courses of the facylty's centre for teaching and learning, MedCUL, in the future. 

"The learning activity has long been used in the biomedical programs, but interest in TBL has increased since the move to Forum Medicum where there are rooms designed for this", says Magnus Hillman, director at MedCUL.
 

Facts

The six-year medical programme replaces the current medical programme. At the same time, the current Swedish Medical internship (AT-tjänstgöring) service will disappear. Students will be able to apply for a medical license immediately after graduation. However, in order to train as a specialist (ST-tjänstgöring), a new form of basic service is first required.