Neurocinema: Expanding a Multimodal Approach Across the Continuum of Medical Education
Shivali Baveja1, Hoang-Lan Nguyen1, Sanaz Attaripour1, Claire Henchcliffe1
1University of California, Irvine
Objective:
The aim of this project is to explore medical student, resident physician, and faculty experiences following neurocinema showings and discussions.
Background:
Neurocinema, a term used to capture the expanding genre of cinema surrounding neurological conditions, provides a valuable learning opportunity in neurology for all levels of the medical education and professional spectrum: pre-clinical and clinical medical students, resident physicians, and faculty.
Films including Still Alice, Miracle at Manchester, and Brain on Fire document various neurologic conditions in diverse patient populations and serve as lead points for discussion amongst participants. Focusing on a multimodal approach, viewing followed by group discussion, these events aim to offer new perspectives to all in attendance.
Design/Methods:
Neurology movie nights, hosted by a local Student Interest Group in Neurology chapter, have been ongoing for three years. For the showing of Miracle at Manchester, the physician responsible for the real-life patient’s treatment was also present for discussion. Participants were surveyed to gauge their thoughts on the event and its impact on their perceptions of neurology.
Results:
The events have been well received with progressively increasing attendance from 8 to 25 at the third event. All surveyed attendees through the continuum of education reported being able to participate in meaningful discussion regarding topics related to the film. The film Miracle at Manchester’s discussion explored the treatment of pediatric medulloblastoma, which, despite its prevalence, has poor representation in neurocinema. Discussion of the case with the treating physician provided further perspective on the accuracies and inaccuracies of neurocinema's portrayal of medical care.
Conclusions:
Neurocinema, particularly when presented within a multimodal event, offers an exciting opportunity for cross-collaboration within neurology. It is a powerful tool in increasing exposure to neurologic conditions and patient populations poorly represented in medical media. Integrating viewpoints from all levels of medical education fosters further education and exploration of neurology.