Guyton's original integrative physiology model was a milestone in integrative physiology, combining significant physiological knowledge with an engineering perspective to develop a computational diagrammatic model. It is still used in research and teaching, with a small number of variants on the model also in circulation. However, though new research has added significantly to the knowledge rep...

Case studies from popular culture have previously been reported to be helpful teaching tools for conveying and integrating complex physiological principles.1 A most enigmatic case that has puzzled some anesthesiologists and respiratory physiologists for decades is Darth Vader, “the chosen one” from the Star Wars franchise; his continuous need for a whole-body armored suit that supports his brea...

T here has been increasing criticism of medical basic science teaching; much of this has focused on overcrowding of the curriculum, inadequate application to clinical medicine, and the limited commitment of the faculty to teach. We have analyzed some of the factors that may contribute to these complaints, such as the fragmentation of physiology and the conflicting roles of the medical basic sci...

In the present article, I report on my experience in teaching and learning physiology in the first year of a new modular curriculum at the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Rwanda. With self-reported questionnaires, I collected learning experience perceptions from 112 students who attended the module of physiology in 2008. The results showed satisfaction with active learning met...

The 2004 APS Position Statement on the Use of Animals in Teaching evolved following more than two years of discussions within the Council, the Animal Care and Experimentation Committee, the Education Committee, and the Editorial Board of the journal, Advances in Physiology Education. Position statements are, by definition, brief, and typically do not capture the detailed analysis and discussion...

In this article we examine the role of basic medical physiology in medical school education. We discuss the historical background, courses in this subject, and methods of teaching it. We conclude that the teaching of medical physiology should emphasize the study of organ systems and of the intact body. The techniques should emphasize meticulous observation, the posing of hypotheses, and the sub...

There has been increasing criticism of medical basic science teaching; much of this has focused on overcrowding of the curriculum, inadequate application to clinical medicine, and the limited commitment of the faculty to teach. We have analyzed some of the factors that may contribute to these complaints, such as the fragmentation of physiology and the conflicting roles of the medical basic scie...