More And Better
Book Biochemistry in Medicine
Characterisation of the Work and Presentation of the Publishers
The title refers to a collection of representative works that for twenty-six years guided the teaching-learning of biochemistry on the syllabus of the First Degree Course in Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMUL). During that period the publishers were responsible for teaching two subjects. The subject of Biochemistry (called Cell Biochemistry after 1994) was headed by João Martins e Silva between 1978 and 1994 and, from 1994 to 2005, by Carlota Saldanha. The subject of Physiological Biochemistry was headed from 1994 to 2005 by João Martins e Silva, who was also coordinator of the area.
The text is subdivided into three volumes, distributed as follows:
Volume I - Analysis and Prospects: Chapter 1- Contains articles published in different scientific journals on access and selection of new students, and the level of previous specific knowledge shown by students enrolled for the first time in biochemistry; Chapter 2 – Articles published in which there was an analysis of the characteristics of teaching biochemistry in medicine; Chapter 3 – Includes two pedagogical reports presented in academic examinations.
Volume II - Methodologies and Study Programmes: Chapter 4 – Study programmes for the subjects of Cell and Physiological Biochemistry used during the representative academic years; Chapter 5 – Teaching-learning methodologies in undergraduate and post-graduate teaching of applied biochemistry in medicine.
Volume III - Subjects and Metabolic Maps in Physiological Biochemistry: Chapter 6- Problems and clinical cases with a biochemical application. Chapter 7 – Diagrams used in teaching physiological biochemistry.
The organization and systematizing of the book followed the following main criteria: Prospects and presuppositions of the communication of knowledge; Specific aims of the subjects; Respective contents; Methodologies tried out and possible ones.
Prospects and Presuppositions
The current speed of expansion of fundamental knowledge, which is reflected both in teaching and in the respective practical application, makes not only contents rapidly obsolete, but also methodologies and practical potentialities. This process may explain the equally rapid evolution of treatises and other teaching texts, allowing one to accept the possibility that facts and achievements carried out in the recent past have also lost their interest. One should not forget, however, that the evidence and systems currently in practice are the result of a long chain of other phenomena, other experiences and observations. It was on this presupposition that the publication of the collection of subjects that make up the present work was based. As an alternative to the publishing of one more treatise including the traditional listing of specific subjects, organised in the traditional manner, particular attention has been paid to the drawing up of a document that represents the dynamic of the evolution of the teaching of biochemistry in the Medicine degree at the FMUL under our tutelage, explained in the aims, the syllabuses, in the methodologies and in those who intervened.
Defining of Aims
It was necessary to define aims for each of the subjects, without losing sight of the fact that their main pedagogical use should be in accordance with the training of future doctors. Also in relation to this aspect, but on a more removed level, the aim was for the teaching to inculcate motivation for scientific research in students and for a continued interest for its contents, as well as for its respective rationalization and application to clinical practice. The defining of these general and specific aims depended on the academic preparation of the students who came into the FMUL each year in order to begin learning Cell Biochemistry in the first year of the course. That problem didn’t exist in the second year, in Physiological Biochemistry, given that most of the students had already passed Cell Biochemistry. Attempts were made to use diagnostic tests held during the first classes in Cell Biochemistry in order to find out the preparation and academic knowledge that students had in general issues in the subject of Chemistry on the programmes for access to higher education. The results obtained were much lower that what was expected, so for some years the teaching of the subject of Cell Biochemistry was preceded by a condensed course on the most relevant issues in General and Organic Chemistry. However, considering that the benefits achieved were used up by the reduction in the indispensable teaching time for Cell Biochemistry, the preparatory courses were interrupted.
Contents The limits and pertinence of the contents to use, alongside the introduction of a specific lexicon, was in line with the new students’ level of knowledge. These contents were constantly analysed year after year, subject to occasional renewing and updating. It was necessary to take into account the complexity, evolution and expansion of the new knowledge in Biochemistry, directly and indirectly related to medical training and then to choose and/or replace those which seemed to be less adequate. Additionally, the defining of the contents was set within the group and distribution of subject matter on the curriculum model of the time, in particular that which resulted from the setting up of the new programme in 1994. It was necessary to grant particular attention for the contents to be acquired by the students through higher levels of the cognitive process. Although memorising fundamental lexicon and contents was important, the aim was for the factual acquisition to take place through concrete examples and problems. Added to this was the importance paid to the prevalence of the nuclear foundations, to the mechanisms in which they intervened and to the relevance of potential medical application. In order to achieve this, problems of an elementary clinical nature were used with well-established biochemical implications, used both in learning and in the assessment tests.
Methodologies
The modalities used were previously tested on different modalities of teaching, both optional and otherwise. The fundamental aim was for the learning to take place in a climate of motivation and that was receptive to students’ suggestions and criticisms. To this end there was the promoting of experimental courses testing analytical methods over a decade and a half, as well as theoretical seminars that dealt with biochemical situations in common pathological situations. The results obtained with the methodologies referred to, as well as the assessing of the respective potential, were fundamental for the pedagogical process followed in the courses of Cell and Physiological Biochemistry on the compulsory curricular nucleus.
The authors of the work would like to thank Doctors Raquel Viegas and Helena Cabeleira for the commitment and dedication with which they organized the session for the presentation of the book "Biochemistry in Medicine".
J. Martins e Silva
Retired full professor, Institute of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, jsilva@fm.ul.pt
Carlota Saldanha
Associated professor with aggregation, Institute of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, carlotasaldanha@fm.u.pt
The title refers to a collection of representative works that for twenty-six years guided the teaching-learning of biochemistry on the syllabus of the First Degree Course in Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMUL). During that period the publishers were responsible for teaching two subjects. The subject of Biochemistry (called Cell Biochemistry after 1994) was headed by João Martins e Silva between 1978 and 1994 and, from 1994 to 2005, by Carlota Saldanha. The subject of Physiological Biochemistry was headed from 1994 to 2005 by João Martins e Silva, who was also coordinator of the area.
The text is subdivided into three volumes, distributed as follows:
Volume I - Analysis and Prospects: Chapter 1- Contains articles published in different scientific journals on access and selection of new students, and the level of previous specific knowledge shown by students enrolled for the first time in biochemistry; Chapter 2 – Articles published in which there was an analysis of the characteristics of teaching biochemistry in medicine; Chapter 3 – Includes two pedagogical reports presented in academic examinations.
Volume II - Methodologies and Study Programmes: Chapter 4 – Study programmes for the subjects of Cell and Physiological Biochemistry used during the representative academic years; Chapter 5 – Teaching-learning methodologies in undergraduate and post-graduate teaching of applied biochemistry in medicine.
Volume III - Subjects and Metabolic Maps in Physiological Biochemistry: Chapter 6- Problems and clinical cases with a biochemical application. Chapter 7 – Diagrams used in teaching physiological biochemistry.
The organization and systematizing of the book followed the following main criteria: Prospects and presuppositions of the communication of knowledge; Specific aims of the subjects; Respective contents; Methodologies tried out and possible ones.
Prospects and Presuppositions
The current speed of expansion of fundamental knowledge, which is reflected both in teaching and in the respective practical application, makes not only contents rapidly obsolete, but also methodologies and practical potentialities. This process may explain the equally rapid evolution of treatises and other teaching texts, allowing one to accept the possibility that facts and achievements carried out in the recent past have also lost their interest. One should not forget, however, that the evidence and systems currently in practice are the result of a long chain of other phenomena, other experiences and observations. It was on this presupposition that the publication of the collection of subjects that make up the present work was based. As an alternative to the publishing of one more treatise including the traditional listing of specific subjects, organised in the traditional manner, particular attention has been paid to the drawing up of a document that represents the dynamic of the evolution of the teaching of biochemistry in the Medicine degree at the FMUL under our tutelage, explained in the aims, the syllabuses, in the methodologies and in those who intervened.
Defining of Aims
It was necessary to define aims for each of the subjects, without losing sight of the fact that their main pedagogical use should be in accordance with the training of future doctors. Also in relation to this aspect, but on a more removed level, the aim was for the teaching to inculcate motivation for scientific research in students and for a continued interest for its contents, as well as for its respective rationalization and application to clinical practice. The defining of these general and specific aims depended on the academic preparation of the students who came into the FMUL each year in order to begin learning Cell Biochemistry in the first year of the course. That problem didn’t exist in the second year, in Physiological Biochemistry, given that most of the students had already passed Cell Biochemistry. Attempts were made to use diagnostic tests held during the first classes in Cell Biochemistry in order to find out the preparation and academic knowledge that students had in general issues in the subject of Chemistry on the programmes for access to higher education. The results obtained were much lower that what was expected, so for some years the teaching of the subject of Cell Biochemistry was preceded by a condensed course on the most relevant issues in General and Organic Chemistry. However, considering that the benefits achieved were used up by the reduction in the indispensable teaching time for Cell Biochemistry, the preparatory courses were interrupted.
Contents The limits and pertinence of the contents to use, alongside the introduction of a specific lexicon, was in line with the new students’ level of knowledge. These contents were constantly analysed year after year, subject to occasional renewing and updating. It was necessary to take into account the complexity, evolution and expansion of the new knowledge in Biochemistry, directly and indirectly related to medical training and then to choose and/or replace those which seemed to be less adequate. Additionally, the defining of the contents was set within the group and distribution of subject matter on the curriculum model of the time, in particular that which resulted from the setting up of the new programme in 1994. It was necessary to grant particular attention for the contents to be acquired by the students through higher levels of the cognitive process. Although memorising fundamental lexicon and contents was important, the aim was for the factual acquisition to take place through concrete examples and problems. Added to this was the importance paid to the prevalence of the nuclear foundations, to the mechanisms in which they intervened and to the relevance of potential medical application. In order to achieve this, problems of an elementary clinical nature were used with well-established biochemical implications, used both in learning and in the assessment tests.
Methodologies
The modalities used were previously tested on different modalities of teaching, both optional and otherwise. The fundamental aim was for the learning to take place in a climate of motivation and that was receptive to students’ suggestions and criticisms. To this end there was the promoting of experimental courses testing analytical methods over a decade and a half, as well as theoretical seminars that dealt with biochemical situations in common pathological situations. The results obtained with the methodologies referred to, as well as the assessing of the respective potential, were fundamental for the pedagogical process followed in the courses of Cell and Physiological Biochemistry on the compulsory curricular nucleus.
The authors of the work would like to thank Doctors Raquel Viegas and Helena Cabeleira for the commitment and dedication with which they organized the session for the presentation of the book "Biochemistry in Medicine".
J. Martins e Silva
Retired full professor, Institute of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, jsilva@fm.ul.pt
Carlota Saldanha
Associated professor with aggregation, Institute of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, carlotasaldanha@fm.u.pt
