Trends in undergraduate teaching of parasitology in medical schools of Pakistan

Parasitic diseases are a major public health problem in the tropical and sub tropical countries including the subcontinent region. We aimed to assess methods of Parasitology education in medical schools of Karachi Pakistan. Ten medical schools in Karachi, Pakistan were sent a structured questionnaire collecting information on different aspects of Parasitology education. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 14.0. The response rate of this study was 90%. Majority of the schools in Karachi, Pakistan (78%) taught Parasitology concurrently with Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology and Forensic medicine in third and fourth year of undergraduate training. More than 20 hours were spent on teaching through didactic lectures (56%), interactive lectures (22%), problem based learning (PBL) (22%), clinical cases (11%) and small group discussions (89%). A Clinical Microbiologist or Parasitologist taught Parasitology by using transparencies, handouts and/or computer aids. Variation in education methods existed mainly in the private medical schools. Medical curricula were meeting the European standards for teaching of Parasitology. However, there is a need for revision and modification in the curricula owing to the high burden of parasitic diseases in the subcontinent region.