Student Research Work and Modeled Situations in Order to Bridge the Gap between Basic Science Concepts and Those from Preventive and Clinical Practice. Meaningful Learning and <i>Informed beneficience</i>

Abstract

Meaningful learning of basic science concepts is a difficult goal to reach among students from different health related university careers. We present an integrative approach based on different educational strategies like problem based, and situated learning as well as the use of models and organizers. Three cases from Medicine, Nursing and Nutrition show the difficulties in the comprehension and integration of basic and applied knowledge as well as the educational approaches adopted and the evolution of students. There is a discussion on the ethical relevance of deep basic and applied knowledge in the right solution of problems posed in class that attempt to model real life scenarios. There is a term introduced in this paper: informed beneficence. This concept expresses the assumption that the professional fulfillment of the ethical principle of beneficence is linked to knowledge and skills to propose appropriate solutions to individual or collective health problems.