Performance of first-year health sciences students in a large, diverse, multidisciplinary, first-semester, physiology service module.

Health Science students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal perform better in their professional modules compared with their physiology modules. The pass rates of physiology service modules have steadily declined over the years. While a system is in place to identify "at-risk" students, it is only activated after the first semester.

Active physiology learning in a diverse class: an analysis of medical student responses in terms of sex, home language, and self-reported test performance.

The student body at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine (NRMSM) is very diverse, representing many cultures, religions, and languages. Research has shown that weakness in English can impact student performance.

Student perceptions of the use of presentations as a method of learning endocrine and gastrointestinal pathophysiology.

Second-year medical students at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine (Durban, South Africa) were given a brief to prepare oral presentations on topics related to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system in the form of "patient-doctor" role play and to submit written documents about their topics. This initiative was introduced to assist medical students in their application and understanding of physiology to clinical situations.

What makes the learning of physiology in a PBL medical curriculum challenging? Student perceptions.

Physiology is an integral component of any medical curriculum. Traditionally, the learning of physiology has relied heavily on systems-based didactic lectures. In 2001, the Nelson R.

The effect of compressed air massage on skin blood flow and temperature.

Aim: Compressed air massage is a new treatment modality that uses air under pressure to massage skin and muscle. It is claimed to improve skin blood flow but this has not been verified. Several pilot studies were undertaken to determine the effects of compressed air massage on skin blood flow and temperature.