Assisted learning sessions for teaching parasitology to medical students at the Hospital Escuela
Program Objective:
The Assisted Learning Sessions at the Parasitology Museum, “Rina G. de Kaminsky” Parasitology Service, Hospital Escuela, aim to enrich parasitology education for 5th-year Medical students from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Tegucigalpa. These sessions combine interactive guided tours of the Parasitology Museum with the use of digital resources and research skills development through the generation of research questions on parasitic diseases prevalent in Honduras.
Coordinator: Dr. Wendy Murillo
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, UNAH
Modality:
- In-person and online (TGHN LAC Platform: https://lac.tghn.org/)
- Language: Spanish
- Audience: 5th-year Medical students (UNAH), faculty members, and interested healthcare professionals.
Program Description:
The Parasitology Museum, “Rina G. de Kaminsky” Parasitology Service, Hospital Escuela, offers a wide range of educational materials on parasites and vectors—agents of diseases in humans and animals. Available resources include preserved intestinal and tissue parasites, worms and insects extracted from patients, stained slides with specialized preparations, documents, posters, textbooks, and diagnostic methods, among others. In 2025, the guided tours are led by Dr. Wendy Murillo with support from the teaching staff and the Parasitology Service. During the visit, students complete a written guide based on their observations and reflections.
The program also includes online training titled “The Research Question” through The Global Health Network platform (https://lac.tghn.org/), aiming to foster critical analysis of diagnostic methods and prevalent diseases in Honduras and the region, such as soil-transmitted helminth infections, Chagas disease, and intestinal apicomplexan parasites.
Resources Used:
- Guided visit to the Parasitology Museum
- Written guide: Reflective questions covering topics such as ascariasis, trichuriasis, amebiasis, Chagas disease, and diagnostic methods.
- Supplementary publications in the Honduran Medical Journal (Rev Méd Hondur) about the Museum and parasitological diagnostics.
Online Resources:
- The Research Question – online training
- Key articles on the diagnosis of intestinal apicomplexan parasites and strongyloidiasis.
Expected Outcomes:
- Students will develop a deeper understanding of the health effects of prevalent parasitic diseases, associated determinants, and diagnostic techniques.
- The program will promote the generation of parasitology-related research questions among students and faculty.
- Students will apply what they learn during the Museum visit to complement theoretical classes in the Parasitology Module.
Access more resources and updates about the Parasitology Museum:
- View question guide
- Read news about the Parasitology Museum
- Articles on parasitological diagnostics:
- Girard de Kaminsky R. Parasitology Museum, Hospital Escuela, Honduras. Rev Méd Hondur. 2023
- García J, Alger J. Modified acid-fast staining for diagnosis of intestinal apicomplexan protozoa. Rev Méd Hondur. 2023
- García J, Alger J. Baermann method and diagnosis of strongyloidiasis. Rev Méd Hondur. 2022
- Articles on parasitological diagnostics:
February 2025
First rotation of 5th-year Medical students, UNAH
- Number of students: 32
- Duration: 5 weeks
- Topics covered:
- Guided tour of the Parasitology Museum
- Online course on “The Research Question”
- Completion of the question guide with emphasis on prevalent parasitic diseases in Honduras
1. Students working on the Written Guide while reviewing the museum exhibits
2. Faculty member facilitating discussion on the visit and topics from the Written Guide