Physics for Medical Colleges: Proposing an Extended Syllabus

Abstract

Background: Physics has indeed revolutionized medical practice since the birth of medicine thousands of years ago. It provided us with a better understanding of our health problems through many diagnostic and treatment tools yet, many medical colleges do not fully implement physics as a core subject in their curricula. Physics is taught only as a freshman year subject, and many medical students feel obliged to take it without knowing its real benefits to their future careers. This is basically due to the lack of an appropriate course design, references, and the poor commissioning of physics in the medical field. Objective: The aim of this work is to propose a series of courses of physics in medicine that would fulfill the requirements of any medical college. Methods: The presented courses will be divided into three phases: premedical, pre-clinical, and clinical years for medical students. To do so, a critical analysis of the topics needed at the different phases and the possibilities of implementing this syllabus and constraints that may face the process is conducted. Results: The different topics are shown and means of implementing them as a single subject or in conjunction with other subjects is clarified Conclusion: Once properly tailored, physics can provide a strong tool in medical education.