Students' Perception of the Anatomy Educational Environment at Regional Medical Campuses (RMC) and Main Campus

Abstract

IntroductionIn 2006, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) recommended to increase medical school enrollment to address an anticipated physician shortage in the future. To accommodate this increase, medical schools not only increased students enrolled at existing medical schools, but also opened new regional medical campuses (RMCs). However, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) has standards for medical schools with more than one geographically separate campus; specifically, the curriculum should have comparable educational experiences, equivalent methods of assessment, and uniform graduation standards across all locations. Thus, RMCs have the unique task of maintaining an autonomous identity with their own strengths and resources, all the while remaining consistent and comparable to the central campus. Indiana University School of Medicine has eight RMCs and a main campus in Indianapolis. The first‐year Human Structure course integrates gross anatomy, histology, and embryology and utilizes identical learning objectives, assessment, and state‐wide pre‐recorded lectures. This instructional design leaves the local educational team, cohort of students (75% fewer students at RMCs), and the campus climate among the differences in learning environment. The goal of this study is to explore the differences in medical students’ perceptions of the anatomy environment at RMCs versus the central campus despite comparability in formal curriculum.MethodsThis IRB‐approved study used a modified version of the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure, that included a 40‐item Likert survey and six free response questions to gather more information about the medical education environment. First‐year medical students were recruited from three RMCs and main academic campus. A Mann Whitney U test was used to compare survey responses of participants at RMCs and main campus (α ≤ .05) and free responses comments were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsA total of 15 RMC (21%) and 12 main campus students (9%) completed the survey. Students at the main campus reported significantly lower scores on 10 items compared to RMC participants (p ≤ 0.035). These items related to stimulating learning, providing student‐centered instruction, offering constructive feedback, and having a relaxed laboratory learning environment. Thematic analysis of free responses was consistent with survey results and demonstrated that students at RMCs appreciate the smaller number of students which provides more opportunity for one‐on‐one instruction, support, and camaraderie among peers.DiscussionIn considering the learning experience of students, the contributions of factors beyond the formal curriculum need to be explored. Thus, the interaction of instructor and student, through empathy, support, communication, and the learning environment as a whole need to be considered and developed. Allowing the unique qualities and identities of the RMC and central campus to flourish can improve the learning environment while maintaining comparable curriculum standards.