Trends in undergraduate teaching of parasitology in medical schools of Pakistan

Objective: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusion: 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.