Top teaching award for Dr. Alan Goodridge
Dr. Alan Goodridge's skills as a teacher were publicly recognized this fall when he received the President's Award for Distinguished Teaching. As a teacher, Dr. Goodridge works hard to make his subject matter come alive for students.
"The biggest
change in my teaching over the past few years is an increased use of case-based problems,
with the aid of videos, clinical slides and live demonstrations. I want to make what I'm
teaching real and tangible for students."
It's a philosophy that works. Student evaluations have consistently rated him among the top teachers in the Faculty of Medicine. In nominating him for the President's Award for Distinguished Teaching, second-year medical student Carol Ross said his practical demonstrations "really help with retention of the material." In demonstrating the electromyogram (EMG) Dr. Goodridge uses himself as the subject, putting a needle into the muscle of his forearm to show how a stimulated nerve causes a muscle to contract.
As a neurologist, Dr. Goodridge must often present very complex material. Colleague Dr. Dale Corbett, a neuroscientist, said "he is able to blend just the right amount of clinical case material and necessary basic science information to allow students to develop a clear understanding of common disease states and disorders and their underlying neuroanatomical/neurochemical basis."
Dr. Goodridge said he tries to give students something extra in the classroom. "I ask the class a lot of questions to get them involved in discussion and interaction. It keeps them awake, and it keeps me awake and interested."
Fundamental to being a good teacher is liking the job, said Dr. Goodridge. "It's also important to continually improve teaching skills. I'm my own critic -- I read student evaluations, and when I go to lectures I think about what I like and don't like about the presentation."
In addition to praising his classroom skills, Ms. Ross also spoke highly of how Dr. Goodridge functions as a clinical skills tutor. "He has an amazing ability to deliver constructive criticism without being demeaning or belittling. He is very patient with students and is willing to demonstrate procedures more than once without seeming hurried or intolerant."
Dr. Goodridge graduated from MUN's Faculty of Medicine in 1979 and, following postgraduate training, joined the faculty in 1986. In 1991 the third-year medical class chose him for their Outstanding Teacher Award. He recently stepped down as assistant dean of Undergraduate Medical Education, where for the past four years he oversaw the development of a new undergraduate medical curriculum; he is now co-ordinator of the clinical clerkship. He is active in clinical trials and is the principal investigator at Memorial for trials in Parkinson Disease and diabetic neuropathy.
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