AN
APPRAISAL OF TRAINING IN VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY IN TEACHING INSTITUTIONS OF
PAKISTAN:
CONTRASTS WITH GLOBAL
APPROACHES IN VETERINARY EDUCATION
A. Jabbar, Z. Iqbal, G. Muhammad1
and Zia-ud-Din Sindhu
Department of Veterinary Parasitology, 1Department of
Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University
of
Agriculture,
Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan
Abstract
This paper describes the advantages and disadvantages
of various approaches of teaching veterinary parasitology, including the
disciplinary, the problem-oriented and combined approaches. In the disciplinary
approach, parasitology is taught in the classical manner as a coherent subject,
covering parasite morphology, biology, molecular biology, epidemiology,
pathology and immunology, as well as clinical manifestations, diagnosis,
therapy, control and prevention of parasitic diseases. Problem-oriented teaching
approaches the subject, starting from diseases in animal species or from organ
systems or other objectives (e.g. food safety); it also tackles training of
skills for problem solving and self-learning. Combined approaches include
elements of the disciplinary approach and those of other methods. As an example,
a new curriculum (as a combination of organ-focused and problem-based approach)
of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Berne,
Switzerland, has been discussed. Based on the
observations and experiences regarding teaching veterinary parasitology, some
suggestions have been made which may be helpful in the development of curriculum
of veterinary parasitology in Pakistan.