PORTFOLIO LEARNING - A PROPOSAL FOR UNDERGRADUATE CANCER TEACHING

This paper describes a randomized study to evaluate a longitudinal app roach to undergraduate education using cancer patients and cancer medi cine as a model.Medical students were randomized to the study or contr ol group. Those in the study were allocated to tutors (general practit ioners or consultants) in groups of three. Each student was allocated three consenting patients with cancer to follow longitudinally. They c ompiled a portfolio to record events, interactions, relevant articles, etc. based around the patients' case histories. The students received tutorials to provide direction, discussion and support bimonthly duri ng the course. Evaluation was by central review of the portfolios, app raisal in the clinical competence examination and hidden questions in the standard MCQ examinations. The aim was to provide the learner with a personal experience of cancer patients at all stages of the disease , an understanding of the natural history of cancer and an insight int o the impact of the disease and its treatment on the patient and famil y. The study evaluates whether these aims were achieved to a greater e xtent in those students receiving the portfolio teaching compared with a control group receiving the standard curriculum teaching only.