New approaches for pathology teaching in undergraduate medical studies, the University Paris-Saclay experience

Introduction: Teaching pathology is an essential and early part of the medical curriculum. It is classically theoretical, often accompanied by tutorials. Access to pathology internships for students is not always possible. Following the reform of the undergraduate curriculum, the increase in the size of the student classes has necessitated a reorganization of pathology teaching at the University of Paris-Saclay faculty of medicine. Our goal was to evaluate student performance and student and teacher satisfaction after these changes. Materials and methods: We compared results in continuous assessment and theory exams 3 years before the pedagogical reorganization and 2 years afterwards; we assessed student and teacher satisfaction using questionnaires. Results: The size of third-year medical student classes gradually increased by 77% after the reform. Tutorials are now given in the form of interactive slide shows in amphitheatres. Continuous assessment results have remained stable (p = 0.62) and theory exam results have improved (p = 0.02) since the change in teaching organization. Students and teachers were satisfied with the interactive slide shows, students requested video clips to illustrate the digitized slides. Discussion: The teaching of pathology has evolved considerably in recent years to adapt to the various reforms and meet students’ expectations. New pedagogical tools are helping to keep pace with these changes.