Case-Based Series in Population-Oriented Prevention (C-POP)

The importance of prevention teaching is increasingly recognized in medical education, but its implementation in medical school curricula is hampered by its cross-specialty nature, lack of curricular time, and perception as a topic of less importance than the traditional basic and clinical sciences. The Case-Based Series in Population-Oriented Prevention (C-POP) was developed to address national objectives for prevention education in a format that recognizes the students' abilities and preferences for case-based learning.

This series uses small-group discussion cases that can be adapted to a variety of settings and instructor capabilities. These cases guide the learners from a specific clinical problem to the broader clinical and population-based prevention issues for the topic. The cases were developed with the use of local health department scenarios and data and have been taught and refined in a number of settings. With its emphasis on small-group learning, clinical relevance, and adaptability to a variety of learner and instructor needs, the C-POP cases can effectively integrate prevention concepts into medical education.

The Case-Based Series in Population-Oriented Prevention (C-POP) were introduced in a 2003 supplement to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. These cases, which address recommended core competencies in prevention education, have been taught to both medical students and preventive medicine residents. Experience with the cases indicates that this method is a promising tool to enhance prevention education across the health professions disciplines. Such extension is feasible because the cases are designed to be adaptable for different levels of education, flexible to be tailored to local situations, and expandable to accommodate changes in the field.

Success with this teaching method was demonstrated at State University of New York (SUNY)–Upstate Medical University and collaborating institutions, including the University of Rochester, University of California at Davis, and SUNY University of Albany School of Public Health.  Use of the CPOP case studies as a curriculum enhancement strategy for medical education was featured in the April 2008 issue of Academic Medicine.

Instructor Guides
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