In February 2022, the renewed MBChB curriculum was implemented as part of an institution-wide programme renewal process and aligned with national and global drivers for change. This year marks the third iteration of the first year, while the third year is breaking new ground.
Since the inception of this programme renewal, ongoing innovations have been implemented and research conducted on the pre-implementation and implementation process and initial outcomes. Some of these were showcased at the university's 2022 and 2023 SOTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) conferences. Through the mini symposium, “Finger on the Pulse", held on 17 April 2024, we showcased research and innovation in the renewed MBChB, in hybrid format. The event was well attended, which could be testament to the interest and engagement of many faculty and staff in curriculum transformation.
The symposium commenced with an in-person display and presentation of health promotion posters compiled by second-year students, as part of the Health and Wellness module. Students were excited to present their work, leading to enthusiastic connections between students and colleagues. This sentiment was echoed by Prof Julia Blitz, former Vice Dean: Teaching & Learning, who opened the symposium and deemed the event a celebration of the hard work by so many colleagues and students.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr Anthea Hansen of the Department of Health Professions Education. Her doctoral research focused on “The student voice as a contributor to a responsive curriculum" and highlighted the need to address inequity and social justice in medical education on a continuous basis. Much of Dr Hansen's findings resonated with literature that informed the development of the renewed curriculum.
The rest of the afternoon featured numerous colleagues and students from across the faculty and university, with reflections on the experience of curriculum renewal. These included research presentations on the Being and Becoming in Health Care (BBHC) module, and on the first cohort students' experience of its assessment. Further presentations focused on implementation of the sequential Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for assessing large groups of students in clinical skills. The assessment portion of the programme was concluded by a presentation on “Embracing the challenge: the value and impact of Capstone assessments" that form part of the Health and Wellness module. The two Capstone assessments are a Health Promotion Project culminating in a poster presentation (displayed at the symposium) and a Campus Health Day which is entirely planned and implemented by the students.
The symposium proceeded with a presentation on the body mapping exercise by the BBHC students. Body mapping is a reflective exercise that highlights the importance of physical experience and engagement of the senses. This narrative methodology uses art and the whole body to reflect on students' learning and developing their identities as doctors.
Hereafter, peer mentoring was explained. This student-led mentoring programme focuses on supporting the student's professional development and wellbeing in the renewed MBChB curriculum, using a professional development plan to direct learning. The final presentation of the symposium was a reflection on the distributed training learning journey and how lessons learned over the course of years as part of the implementation of the Rural Clinical School and Primary Health Care rotations in the outgoing MBChB curriculum are informing the development of the sixth-year Distributed Clinical Apprenticeship module.
Dr Azhar Nadkar, a recent SU medical graduate, closed the proceedings with a reflection on keeping the finger on the pulse of curriculum renewal.
This first edition of the mini symposium is intended to form a base for an annual academic renewal showcase of all programmes in the faculty.
