8-16
ADAPTING CLASSWORK TO PROBLEMS
SEEN IN THE CLINIC OR HOME
if the course plan is flexible, instructors can schedule classes about specific
illnesses or problems that students have just seen in the clinic or community.
Suppose that one day a badly
burned child is seen by the students
in the clinic. If class discussion
that same day covers burns (their
causes, prevention, and treatment),
the students are likely to take
great interest. Then follow this
with more classes on burns, as
well as follow-up care and home
visits to the burned child, until he
is completely well.
Students learn better whenclasses relate to problems they have just faced
in real life. Such unplanned classes can cover the subject matter for the first time. Or
if the subject has already been covered, they can serve as review.
This kind of flexibility in scheduling classes is of great value. But it can create
difficulties with planning and coordination. It is much easier to do with a small learning
group at the village level.
FOLLOWING THE CLINICAL CONSULTATION
In order to take full advantage of the consultation as a learning experience and
still keep classes more or less on schedule, a special period can be planned for
discussing problems seen in clinical practice. Some programs allow a half hour or an
hour for this each day, immediately after the consultations.
In these sessions, students describe to the rest of the group a problem they
have just seen that day in clinical practice. They review the consultation process
and the instructor helps emphasize the most important points to be learned. This
review can be done mostly in the form of questions and answers. In the early
stages, the instructors may take the lead. Later in the course they can encourage
the students to summarize what they have learned and to question and evaluate
each other.
Remember the importance of clinical skills:
The confidence that villagers have in their health worker depends greatly on
his ability to treat their most common and serious illnesses. For this reason it
is essential that the training course provide a solid base for curative skills and
clinical experience. With this training, and good support from the program and
the community, the health worker can help his people meet their felt needs for
curative care. Then he will be more able to help people recognize the underlying
causes of ill health and work toward effective prevention.