Science education: the need for an interdisciplinary approach

With today's evolving science and technology, there is a desperate need for retailoring science education. Whether biology or physics, chemistry or computing, mathematics or engineering, one should seek for interaction between disciplines not only at research level but also at teaching levels. The term 'interdisciplinary' is increasingly gaining meaning for the new generation of researchers and educators as the novel approaches to all areas of science are based on multidisciplinary methods. Fields such as medical physics, biochemistry, computational biology, bioengineering, physical chemistry, just to mention some, are a valid proof of the need for interaction between sciences. Often students are confused regarding their future, as they are not aware of the applicative side of their chosen discipline. Furthermore, both undergraduate and postgraduate students encounter frequent gaps in their knowledge because of the lack of coordination and interaction between disciplines. These hiccups in the educational system could be overcome through a better organization of curriculum. An example of interdisciplinary approach in science education is medical physics. A medical physicist must have a multidisciplinary vision of physics, otherwise the goals of this developing area are not met. The aim of the present talk is to illustrate the branching science of medical physics, the need for its correlation with molecular biology, chemistry, computing, mathematics and technology, and to underline its ultimate goal: to be of service, as an adjuvant field, to the novel areas of medicine.