How to promote medical biology to medical students: interest of interactive clinical cases in biological laboratory

Despite its central role in modern medicine, medical biology tends to attract fewer future physicians. The reasons for this disinterest are varied: a lack of awareness about the specialty among students, the medico-technical nature of the field, the financialization of private healthcare structures, and regulatory requirements, such as the implementation of demanding quality systems that distance students from medical issues. Since the 2018-2019 academic year, a medical biology workshop has been integrated into the problem-based learning sessions of semiology for second-year medical students (DFGSM2) at the Health Faculty of Caen. This interactive workshop uses a clinical case as a framework to introduce students to the specialties of hematology, biochemistry, bacteriology, and immunology. To assess students' perceptions of the workshop, a questionnaire was distributed at the end of the session. Two hundred and seven students responded, with most reporting that the session helped them better understand the specialty. Prior to attending the workshop, 28% of students (n = 58) were considering choosing the specialty, compared to 54% (n = 112) after the workshop (p-value < 0.0001). Among the five least chosen specialties in the National Competitive Exams (ECN) - general medicine, psychiatry, medical biology, public health, and occupational medicine-medical biology ranked third in students' preferences. This study highlights that the preconceived notion of "de-medicalization" can be overcome through targeted educational efforts that increase the appeal of this specialty.