Basic Science Curriculum Research Articles

Use of Lecture Recordings in Medical Education

Medical schools provide many educational resources in their basic science curriculum, including slide-based lectures, handouts, study guides, reviews, textbooks, primary literature, and web-based links. We recently instituted a web-based lecture recording system, which synchronizes lecture audio with visual components, as opposed to previous audio-only recordings. This study sought to determine how this recording system was being used by students, whether its availability impacted class attendance, and whether this resource had a positive effect on student performance. First- and second-year medical students were surveyed regarding class attendance and their use of lecture recordings. In addition, students indicated their impression of how lecture recordings influenced exam performance for several of their basic science courses. Student perception was compared with actual exam results. Of 206 students who completed the survey, 80.1% (N = 165) utilized the lecture recording system. Of 91 second-year students using the resource, only 14.4% (N = 13) mentioned a decline in lecture attendance. Despite how it was used, first- and second-year medical students overwhelmingly responded in favor of these audiovisual-synchronized recordings. 90.3% of responding medical students using recordings felt this resource improved exam performance. While student perception was positive, our multidisciplinary data suggest otherwise. With the exception of the second-year Pharmacology course, lecture recordings did not have an impact, either in a positive or negative direction on exam performance across seven first- and second-year basic science courses. Lecture recordings can be viewed as another useful tool, in addition to traditional lectures, that allows for flexibility in study habits and self-directed learning.

Resident Education in the Radiological Sciences: What Now?

With the dizzying changes in the rapidly evolving profession of radiology, the structure of resident education in the associated sciences of imaging, physics, radiobiology, and radiation effects must be reevaluated continually. What roles do these basic radiologic sciences play in bolstering the neophyte radiologist on a career of patient care? How should we define the spectrum of material that should be learned? How should that spectrum be taught? Who decides these things? With the impending changes in the radiology board certification process, questions have been raised as to how these changes will affect education in a residency program. Should the basic science curriculum be enhanced or scaled back? With the emphasis on practical applied physics, what is considered old school and what is new school material? This article describes one approach adopted by a large residency program to address these issues.

Frank J. Murphy, M.D., C.M., 1900–1972

Frank J. Murphy, M.D., C.M., 1900–1972

Teaching Bioethics: The Tale of a “Soft” Science in a Hard World

Background: Although bioethics is considered essential to the practice of medicine, medical students often view it as a “soft” subject that is secondary in importance to the other courses in their basic science and clinical curriculum. This perspective may be a consequence of the heavy reliance on students’ aptitude in the quantitative sciences as a criterion for entry into medical school and as a barometer of academic success after admission. It is exacerbated by the widespread impression that bioethics is imprecise and culturally relativistic. Summary: In an effort to redress this imbalance, we propose an approach to teaching bioethics to medical students which emphasizes that the intellectual basis and the degree of certainty of knowledge is comparable in all medical subjects ranging from basic science courses to clinical rotations to bioethics tutorials. Conclusions: Adopting these pedagogical steps may promote greater integration of the various elements—bioethics and clinical science—in the medical school curriculum.

Horizontal Integration of the Basic Sciences in the Chiropractic Curriculum

Basic science curricula at most chiropractic colleges consist of courses (eg, general anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc) that are taught as stand-alone content domains. The lack of integration between basic science disciplines causes difficulties for students who need to understand how the parts function together as an integrated whole and apply this understanding to solving clinical problems. More horizontally integrated basic science curricula could be achieved by several means: integrated Part I National Board of Chiropractic Examiners questions, a broader education for future professors, an increased emphasis on integration within the current model, linked courses, and an integrated, thematic basic science curriculum. Horizontally integrating basic science curricula would require significant efforts from administrators, curriculum committees, and instructional faculty. Once in place this curriculum would promote more clinically relevant learning, improved learning outcomes, and superior vertical integration.

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine

Number of Activities: 145 Number of Hours of Instruction: 1,964 Number of Physician Participants: 29,136 Number of Other Learners: 17,094 Received Commercial Support: Yes Received Income from Advertising or Exhibits: Yes Participated in Joint Providership: Yes Offered Courses: Yes Offered Enduring Materials: Yes Offered Internet Enduring Materials: Yes Offered Performance Improvement: Yes Offered RSS: Yes Offered Test Item Writing: Yes

New York University School of Medicine

New York University School of Medicine

University of South Florida College of Medicine

University of South Florida College of Medicine

University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Medicine

University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Medicine

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Cleveland Clinic

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Cleveland Clinic

State University of New York Upstate Medical University College of Medicine

State University of New York Upstate Medical University College of Medicine

Rush Medical College

Rush Medical College

Mercer University School of Medicine

Mercer University School of Medicine

Residents as Teachers of the Pelvic Floor and Perineal Anatomy

: As much as 50% of teaching is conducted by residents with limited clinical experience, pedagogical acumen or knowledge of the subject they teach. : The purpose was to develop a residents-as-teachers program that integrated a basic science curriculum of the pelvic floor and perineal anatomy with clinical correlations while instructing residents in certain clinical and pedagogical skills. : A resident-as-teacher curriculum that focused on both the pedagogy and content related to pelvic floor and perineal anatomy was designed and collaboratively implemented by an anatomist, obstetrics/gynecology clinicians and a professional educator. It was implemented 4 times, with each session offered as a 3-hour training. A mixed-methods research design was used to study the impact of the resident-as-teacher program on the residents. : A medical school anatomy laboratory. : A total of 51 residents in the Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital Integrated Residency Training Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology (PG-1, -2, -3 and -4) and 4 Harvard Medical School students. : Four 3-hour resident-as-teacher curricular sessions. : To understand the impact of an innovative resident-as-teacher curriculum on Obstetrics and Gynecology residents. : The intervention significantly affected the residents' knowledge of pelvic floor and perineal anatomy and significantly increased the residents' comfort level with teaching pelvic floor and perineal anatomy. All the residents agreed that learning how to teach using clinical correlations and integrating the laboratory experience were excellent and that it was beneficial to be taught by the combination of clinical, anatomical and educational faculty. : Teaching residents how to teach using a hands-on anatomical laboratory experience relevant to their daily work was overwhelmingly positive. The recommendation was to continue the program and implement the session at least biannually.

University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

Duke University School of Medicine

Duke University School of Medicine

Drexel University College of Medicine

Drexel University College of Medicine

Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University

Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University

The use of self‐learning modules to facilitate learning of basic science concepts in an integrated medical curriculum

This study used qualitative and quantitative approaches to evaluate the effectiveness of self-learning modules (SLMs) developed to facilitate and individualize students' learning of basic medical sciences. Twenty physiology and nineteen microanatomy SLMs were designed with interactive images, animations, narrations, and self-assessments. Of 41 medical students, 40 students voluntarily completed a questionnaire with open-ended and closed-ended items to evaluate students' attitudes and perspectives on the learning value of SLMs. Closed-ended items were assessed on a five-point Likert scale (5 = high score) and the data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Open-ended questions further evaluated students' perspectives on the effectiveness of SLMs; student responses to open-ended questions were analyzed to identify shared patterns or themes in their experience using SLMs. The results of the midterm examination were also analyzed to compare student performance on items related to SLMs and traditional sessions. Students positively evaluated their experience using the SLMs with an overall mean score of 4.25 (SD ± 0.84). Most students (97%) indicated that the SLMs improved understanding and facilitated learning basic science concepts. SLMs were reported to allow learner control, to help in preparation for subsequent in-class discussion, and to improve understanding and retention. A significant difference in students' performance was observed when comparing SLM-related items with non-SLM items in the midterm examination (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of SLMs in an integrated basic science curriculum has the potential to individualize the teaching and improve the learning of basic sciences.

Retrospective Evaluation of Residents' American Board of Surgery In-Service Training Examination (ABSITE) Scores as a Tool to Evaluate Changes Made in a Basic Science Curriculum

To evaluate the effectiveness of a new basic science curriculum at a university-affiliated general surgery residency program. A retrospective evaluation of general surgery residents' American Board of Surgery (ABS) In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores before and after the implementation of a new basic science curriculum. Not-for-profit tertiary referral center with a university-affiliated Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited community general surgery residency program. Postgraduate year (PGY) 1 through 5 general surgical residents. The total questions answered correctly (percent correct) in the main 3 categories improved after implementation of the new curriculum for PGY 1 (total test: 70 +/- 7 vs 60 +/- 9, p < 0.05; clinical science: 71 +/- 10 vs 59 +/- 9, p < 0.05; and basic science: 69 +/- 7 vs 60 +/- 10, p = 0.0003) and for PGY 2 residents (total test: 74 +/- 5 vs 66 +/- 7, p < 0.05; clinical science: 74 +/- 7 vs 66 +/- 8, p = 0.003; and basic science: 74 +/- 5 vs 66 +/- 8, p < 0.05). With the exception of the percentage of clinical questions answered correctly for the PGY 4 level, there was no statistically significant worsening of scores in any other subcategories for any other PGY levels (3 through 5) after implementation of the new program. Before the institution of the new curriculum, 24% (26/110) of residents scored below the 35th percentile, and after the institution of the new curriculum, this number decreased to 12% (12/98), p = 0.006. The first-time passage rate on the ABS Qualifying Examination was unchanged in the period before and after the implementation of the new curriculum (89% vs 86%; p = 0.08). When comparing the bimonthly quizzes with the ABSITE, the correlation coefficient was 0.34. After the implementation of a new basic science curriculum organized and directed by the faculty, there were statistically significant improvements of PGY 1 and 2 residents' ABSITE scores.