Integrated Teaching in Medical Education: The Novel Approach

Integrated teaching has been emphasised by academicians and it has been proved time and again that it helps in purposeful, relevant learning and better understanding of any topic. In medical education correlation of theoretical and practical knowledge is most important aspect of learning hence the teaching should also be done in integration where different subjects unify to teach a relevant topic in more effective manner. This article intends to brief regarding integration in medical education, its types, models and challenges encountered during its implementation.

Integration of medical teaching has been proposed in horizontal, vertical, transdisciplinary fashions. Various models help in effective implementation of integrated teaching in the form of traditional, inverted triangle and total integrations models. Brick wall model, helical model of integration and ‘Integration Peldaños’ are newly introduced to medical education.

Innovative MCI curriculum has horizontal and vertical integration between and among disciplines which is proposing strong hope for success of this novel initiative but various challenges like interdisciplinary coordination, planning and motivation of faculty needed to be addressed.

The effectiveness of Integrated teaching is dedicated to its mode of implementation. Importance of applying integration at right time and at right place in curriculum plays a vital role in operative success of integrated teaching in future.