Abstract
A structured didactic radiation oncology clerkship curriculum for medical students is in use at multiple academic medical centers. Objective evidence supporting this educational approach over the traditional clerkship model is lacking. This study evaluated the curriculum efficacy using an objective knowledge assessment. Medical students received the Radiation Oncology Education Collaborative Study Group (ROECSG) curriculum consisting of 3 lectures (Overview of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Biology/Physics, and Practical Aspects of Simulation/Radiation Emergencies) and a radiation oncology treatment-planning workshop. A standardized 20-item multiple choice question (MCQ) knowledge assessment was completed pre- and post-curriculum and approximately 6months after receiving the curriculum. One hundred forty-six students at 22 academic medical centers completed the ROECSG curriculum from July to November 2016. One hundred nine students completed pre- and post-clerkship MCQ knowledge assessments (response rate 74.7%). Twenty-four students reported a prior rotation at a ROECSG institution and were excluded from analysis. Mean assessment scores increased from pre- to post-curriculum (63.9% vs 80.2%, P<.01). Mean MCQ knowledge subdomain assessment scores all improved post-curriculum (t test, P values<.01). Post-scores for students rotating de novo at ROECSG institutions (n=30) were higher compared with pre-scores for students with ≥1 prior rotations at non-ROECSG institutions (n=55) (77.3% vs 68.8%, P=.01), with an effect size of 0.8. Students who completed rotations at ROECSG institutions continued to demonstrate a trend toward improved performance on the objective knowledge assessment at approximately 6months after curriculum exposure (70.5% vs 65.6%, P=.11). Objective evaluation of a structured didactic curriculum for the radiationoncology clerkship at early and late time points demonstrated significant improvement in radiation oncology knowledge. Students who completed clerkships at ROECSG institutions performed objectively better than students who completedclerkships at non-ROECSG institutions. These results support including a structureddidactic curriculum as a standard component of the radiation oncology clerkship.
Highlights
Medical student clinical rotations such as internal medicine [1], surgery [2], emergency medicine [3], dermatology [4], urology [5], and palliative medicine [6] have structured didactic curricula to complement the clinical experience
Twenty-four students reported a prior rotation at a Radiation Oncology Education Collaborative Study Group (ROECSG) institution and were excluded from analysis
Students who completed rotations at ROECSG institutions continued to demonstrate a trend toward improved performance on the objective knowledge assessment at approximately 6 months after curriculum exposure (70.5% vs 65.6%, P = .11)
Summary
Medical student clinical rotations such as internal medicine [1], surgery [2], emergency medicine [3], dermatology [4], urology [5], and palliative medicine [6] have structured didactic curricula to complement the clinical experience. In 2012 and 2013, a national survey of students applying to radiation oncology revealed that medical students complete a median of 3 clerkships at multiple institutions before applying to residency [7, 8]. Students reported on curriculum experiences and self-assessed their post-clerkship knowledge and confidence in various facets of radiation oncology. The survey results demonstrated a high degree of variability in clerkship educational experiences and that the majority of clerkships had no structured didactic curricula. Students who completed clerkships with formal didactic components reported greater self-perceived preparedness to function as radiation oncology residents [8]. Radiation oncology curricula exist for the third year of medical school [9,10,11,12], and student primers are available [13]. No structured didactic curriculum was publicly available or reported in the literature in 2012
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