Neurological education calls for a targeted integration: A study based on scores of multiple disciplines

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify the disciplines that strongly correlated with neurology, and to compare the differences between neurology and other disciplines in targeted integration. Method: Scores of 18 disciplines (six clinical disciplines, seven basic disciplines, and five social science/humanities disciplines) and college entrance examinations of 275 eight-year program medical students from Sun Yat-Sen University were collected. Correlation between any two subject scores were determined. Results: Student scores in neurology had significant correlation with the scores of four clinical subjects, five basic subjects, and one social science/ humanities subject. Internal medicine scores showed significant correlation with the scores of three clinical subjects and two basic subjects. Scores from obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and psychiatry significantly correlated with one to three clinical subjects scores. No significant correlation was found between surgery scores and other subjects. With the exception of medical statistics, there was no significant correlation between scores from social science/humanities subjects and scores from either clinical or basic subjects. No subject scores significantly correlated with the college entrance examination scores. Conclusion: Neurology is associated with more clinical and basic disciplines than other subjects. Neurological education should involve a targeted integration with other closely related disciplines.