Teaching neurology to undergraduates: A proposal Enseñanza de la neurología en el pregrado: Propuesta de una nueva metodología

According to the authors neurology in this country is perceived as difficult and intractable, by non-neurologists. This distant attitude is observable in other countries as well. The teaching of neurology to undergraduates is deficient, not only because basic neuroscience and clinical neurology lack integration, but also because of obsolete methodology which relies more on memorizing than on the application of knowledge. A method of teaching, new to this country is proposed; it consists of three main features: a. the method of Problem-based Teaching which replaces formal lectures; b. out-patient teaching of practical history-taking and examination is preferred to bed-side sessions with patiens suffering from unusual diseases; and c. prevalent disorders only are taught, leaving out low-incidence conditions, however emblematic to neurologists, such as syringomyelia, the spinocerebellar atrophies and such. A pilot study is being conducted in the Universidad de Valparaíso in 2004. © 2006