Abstract
BackgroundThe University of New South Wales (UNSW) Faculty of Medicine replaced its old content-based curriculum with an innovative new 6-year undergraduate entry outcomes-based integrated program in 2004. This paper is an initial evaluation of the perceived and assessed clinical capabilities of recent graduates of the new outcomes-based integrated medical program compared to benchmarks from traditional content-based or process-based programs.MethodSelf-perceived capability in a range of clinical tasks and assessment of medical education as preparation for hospital practice were evaluated in recent graduates after 3 months working as junior doctors. Responses of the 2009 graduates of the UNSW’s new outcomes-based integrated medical education program were compared to those of the 2007 graduates of UNSW’s previous content-based program, to published data from other Australian medical schools, and to hospital-based supervisor evaluations of their clinical competence.ResultsThree months into internship, graduates from UNSW’s new outcomes-based integrated program rated themselves to have good clinical and procedural skills, with ratings that indicated significantly greater capability than graduates of the previous UNSW content-based program. New program graduates rated themselves significantly more prepared for hospital practice in the confidence (reflective practice), prevention (social aspects of health), interpersonal skills (communication), and collaboration (teamwork) subscales than old program students, and significantly better or equivalent to published benchmarks of graduates from other Australian medical schools. Clinical supervisors rated new program graduates highly capable for teamwork, reflective practice and communication.ConclusionsMedical students from an outcomes-based integrated program graduate with excellent self-rated and supervisor-evaluated capabilities in a range of clinically-relevant outcomes. The program-wide curriculum reform at UNSW has had a major impact in developing capabilities in new graduates that are important for 21st century medical practice.
Highlights
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Faculty of Medicine replaced its old content-based curriculum with an innovative new 6-year undergraduate entry outcomes-based integrated program in 2004
The program-wide curriculum reform at UNSW has had a major impact in developing capabilities in new graduates that are important for 21st century medical practice
Graduates of the new UNSW program rated themselves better prepared for hospital practice on all 4 subscales of the Preparation for Hospital Practice Questionnaire (PHPQ) compared to the 2007 graduating cohort
Summary
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Faculty of Medicine replaced its old content-based curriculum with an innovative new 6-year undergraduate entry outcomes-based integrated program in 2004. Peak regulatory bodies such as the Graduate Medical Council [10], the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada [11], and the Australian Medical Council [12], have prepared outcomes-based standards for medical school accreditation. Graduates of these programs are emerging, and the challenge for schools is to evaluate whether their graduates are achieving the key educational outcomes they espouse, and whether these outcomes translate into better clinical and professional capabilities for 21st century practitioners. Perceived self-efficacy may translate directly to improved performance in the stressful circumstances of the newly graduated doctors’ workplace, as those with high levels of perceived self-efficacy have been shown to be more likely to cope with the demands of jobs and tasks in the work environment [18]
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