Objective: To highlight the role of undergraduate students in raising the awareness about Parkinson’s disease among peers and public. Encouraging the students to take responsibility in educating each other and their community. Providing information about PD and filling the gap in its knowledge among our students, nurses, patients and public.

Background: Medical students can provide better understanding and effective communication to their peers. They share same knowledge and social roles which help in conveying educational messages in a simple accepted way. Peer teaching has been widely practiced and proved to be effective for deep learning. With good supervision, this process can be very important producing competent physicians, educators, and communicators with professionalism.

Methods: As a preparation for international PD awareness day in 2017 at Kasr Alainy medical school, student collected all information about the disease (symptoms & signs, management, care giving and improving quality of life) from textbooks and online resources. Educational materials were designed by the students in Arabic & English languages and included; posters, flyers and a short educational video in a cartoon form explaining the disease and available management options in Egypt. On PD day our trained students moved to their peers distributing the materials, played the video for audience on tablets and laptops. The event was further joined by nurses, workers, employees and hospital visitors as well, who enjoyed the video and involved in active discussions. A short talk in Arabic was given for patients and care givers in a lecture hall. This was done with guidance and supervision of senior neurologists and movement disorders specialists at Kasr Alainy movement disorders unit (KAMDU). The event was endorsed by the international Parkinson’s and movement disorders society-European section (MDS-ES).

Results: Wide reach for target audience with a clear message to understand many aspects of PD, medical students were engorged to take responsibility as health providers and educators in movement disorders, other students were attracted and asked to be engaged in our future educational events. Our educational resources for patients and families were enriched with the posters and leaflets in Arabic language with illustrating figures.

Conclusions: Undergraduate students can help in spreading awareness about PD among peers and public using simple yet innovative educational materials.

References: 1- Cornwall MG. Students as teachers: Peer teaching in higher education._Centrum Onderzoek Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs. 2- http://www.epda.eu.com/living-well/.

« Back to 2018 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/future-doctors-as-health-educators-undergraduate-medical-students-raise-awareness-and-unite-for-parkinsons-disease/