Connecting Physics and Medicine: Engaging Students Online and in the Classroom

Undergraduate courses outside a student’s major can be a challenge for instructors and students alike. At the same time, they are an opportunity to provide valuable insights with new perspectives that instructors or students would not otherwise be exposed to. We reformed the curriculum and pedagogy of our undergraduate physics courses geared toward life science and in particular, pre-health students. What had been lecture-centered courses a few years ago have been transitioned to active learning courses with curriculum highlighting biomedical applications of physics. The courses use pre-class videos featuring biomedical experts discussing how physics is relevant to their work. Students make connections between physics and its biomedical application through pre-instructional reading and post instruction biomedically authentic homework assignments. Classroom work is centered on concepts students struggle with and features clicker questions, group discussions, lab activities, and full course student projects. The curriculum is designed to help physics instructors without an extensive biomedical background to teach a course that is relevant and more engaging to pre-health students. Student surveys and interviews show that students see the active engagement curriculum as an improvement over traditional physics instruction.