Correlation of Student Performance on Team Based Learning (TBL) with Exams in Systems Based First Year Medical School Courses

Abstract

TCOM Basic Sciences curriculum uses a two‐pass systems based approach. Students are introduced to normal anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry in the first year and then progress through an introduction to immunology and microbiology, pathology and pharmacology. As course directors, we implemented TBL in the Musculoskeletal System 1 and Nervous System 1 courses as a substitute for the pre‐exam reviews. The TBLs carried points towards the final course grade. Lecturers submitted questions that were mainly in the USMLE or COMLEX format, i.e. the question was based on a clinical vignette and the stem asked the students to determine which anatomical structure, mechanism or process was involved. A total of 20 questions were presented initially as an individual quiz and then they were repeated as a group quiz. For the group quiz, students went into their groups and then discussed each question whereupon a group leader would submit an answer based on a consensus of their knowledge. We are correlating student performance on the individual quiz and total TBL score with exam scores to determine the effectiveness of using TBL. We are also presenting a survey to determine student enthusiasm for the TBL process.