Creating a virtual pharmacology curriculum in a PBL‐intensive, integrated learning environment (88.1)

Abstract

Integrating pharmacology education into a problem‐based learning (PBL) curriculum has proven challenging for many medical schools. In response to pharmacology content deficiencies identified during an assessment of our PBL‐intensive curriculum in 2002‐2003, our institution hired a director of medical pharmacology instruction to oversee efforts to improve the structure of pharmacology instruction in the absence of having a stand‐alone pharmacology course. In this session, the development of a virtual pharmacology curriculum will be explored. This curriculum places emphasis on clearly stated and behaviorally oriented pharmacology learning objectives, pharmacology study guides that correspond to each PBL case, pharmacology review sessions that feature active student involvement in discussions of United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)‐type questions, and increased student accountability through the addition of PBL‐related pharmacology questions on each organ‐based course examination. As a result of these initiatives, we have observed improvements in USMLE Step 1 scores and graduates’ ratings of pharmacology education as determined by the Medical School Graduation Questionnaire. These initiatives are relevant to other medical schools that are also seeking ways to better integrate pharmacology into PBL‐based curricula.