Expanding student, shrinking paediatric cohorts . . . current challenges in undergraduate teaching in Paediatrics

Abstract

In the late 1990s, student cohorts in The Medical School, Malta, numbered 50 or thereabouts and admission was on an alternate year basis. Hence, for any one given year the Department of Paediatrics taught a single group of either fourth or Final year students. At the time, teaching responsibilities were shared amongst six appointed lecturers and/or consultants, and with half the cohort alternating with Obstetrics, this meant that just 4 students were allocated to each ‘firm’at any one time. Fourth and final year examinations were held on alternate years, and Finals consisted of a traditional clinical format with short cases at the bedside, as well as assessments on clinical data/imaging/ECGs, etc. This setup required ‘live’ patients and up to 40 patients were invited to attend over three days. The change to an annual course with ever-increasing home-based student admissions, later compounded by intake from abroad (e.g. Kuwait and the EU) resulted in an exponential increase in students to 70/80 per year by 2008, >100 by 2011 and peaking at 185 for the group intake of 2014. These figures are further ‘topped up’ by approximately 25-30 elective students attached from 2-6 weeks per year. Presently, an average of 150 admissions for the course in Medicine and Surgery is expected for the foreseeable future.