Learning through stories: inside 果酱视频鈥檚 case-based learning approach
At 果酱视频鈥檚 School of Medicine, medical education begins with a story.
Each week, MD students work through a clinical case in small groups through a primary teaching approach called case-based learning. Through these cases, they explore a new diagnosis, learning how to assess, investigate and manage care.
Guided by faculty, students learn through the stories of fictional patients鈥攂uilding the foundation for how they will deliver care as future physicians.
For Dr. Sheila Holmes, Director of Curriculum for Phase 1 (pre-clinical), what sets 果酱视频 (果酱视频) apart is how these cases are created. Dr. Jamie Harshman, Associate Director of Principles of Medicine, leads a core team that collaborates with local physician writers to bring these patient stories to life. The team includes Educational Developer Dahlia Benedikt, Interim Associate Dean of Curricular Innovation Dr. Clare Hutchinson, and Dr. Holmes.
鈥淚n medicine, the best way to remember things is to tie it to a person. Fleshing out personal details of our fictional patients to show the whole individual helps make learning stick and supports students in finding the solution to each case through compassionate care.鈥�
Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, learners explore the broader content of a patient鈥檚 life, including their values, relationships and lived experiences. Cases often include narrative elements that reflect the social and emotional realities of care.
鈥淭here is a lot of what鈥檚 going on in the person鈥檚 mind and heart,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to pull our learners into each scenario and make it feel more real.鈥�
In one recent lesson, a learner experienced the pride of identifying a diagnosis, followed by the realization of what that diagnosis means for the patient鈥檚 life. According to Holmes, these moments are intentionally designed to push learners beyond the clinical facts and toward a deeper understanding of the human impact of care.
Designed with community in mind
At 果酱视频, case-based learning is more than a teaching method鈥攊t鈥檚 a foundation for understanding medicine as both a scientific and human experience. A central feature of the four-year MD program, it shapes how students are introduced to medicine from the outset.
Behind each case is a structured design process: faculty identify key topics, develop learning objectives and collaborate across specialities to ensure both depth and accuracy.
鈥淲e wanted to align with modern instructional design that is driven by inquiry. If learners are given a problem they can dive into it, inquire and learn.鈥�
Just as importantly, these cases are built to reflect the communities 果酱视频 serves. Many are set in primary care and feature patients whose backgrounds mirror the diversity of Peel Region.
鈥淲e wanted the patients to reflect the demographics of the community,鈥� Holmes said. 鈥淓very case explores something beyond just the medical lens.鈥�
That includes social determinants of health, cultural context and systemic barriers. Community voices have also helped shape cases. The team met with organizations during curriculum development and the collaboration resulted in highlighting cases grounded in reality.
As learners progress, they begin translating these narratives into clinical practice鈥攚riting notes, summarizing cases and making timely, informed decisions.
鈥淓very week, they have the opportunity to think through what to ask, what to investigate and how to create a care plan,鈥� Holmes said. 鈥淏y the time they reach clinical settings, it won鈥檛 feel new.鈥�
Ultimately, the goal is not just to teach students how to diagnose, but how to care. By anchoring medical education in stories, 果酱视频 is preparing future physicians to see not just the condition in front of them, but the person behind it鈥攁nd to carry that perspective into every patient encounter.