Study Strategies Are Associated with Performance in Basic Science Courses in the Medical Curriculum

In the Institute of Medicines report Dental Education at the Crossroads, it was suggested that dental schools across the country move toward integrated basic science education for dental and medical students in their curricula. To do so, dental school admission requirements and recommendations must be closely reviewed to ensure that students are adequately prepared for this coursework. The purpose of our study was twofold: 1) to identify student dentists' perceptions of their predental preparation as it relates to course content, and 2) to track student dentists' undergraduate basic science course preparation and relate that to DAT performance, basic science course performance in dental school, and Part I and Part II National Board performance. In the first part of the research, a total of ninety student dentists (forty-five from each class) from the entering classes of 1996 and 1997 were asked to respond to a survey. The survey instrument was distributed to each class of students after each completed the largest basic science class given in their second-year curriculum. The survey investigated the area of undergraduate major, a checklist of courses completed in their undergraduate preparation, the relevance of the undergraduate classes to the block basic science courses, and the strength of requiring or recommending the listed undergraduate courses as a part of admission to dental school. Results of the survey, using frequency analysis, indicate that students felt that the following classes should be required, not recommended, for admission to dental school: Microbiology 70 percent, Biochemistry 54.4 percent, Immunology 57.78 percent, Anatomy 50 percent, Physiology 58.89 percent, and Cell Biology 50 percent. The second part of the research involved anonymously tracking undergraduate basic science preparation of the same students with DAT scores, the grade received in a representative large basic science course, and Part I and Part II National Board performance. Using T-test analysis correlations, results indicate that having completed multiple undergraduate basic science courses (as reported by AADSAS BCP hours) did not significantly (p < .05) enhance student performance in any of these parameters. Based on these results, we conclude that student dentists with undergraduate preparation in science and nonscience majors can successfully negotiate the dental school curriculum, even though the students themselves would increase admission requirements to include more basic science courses than commonly required. Basically, the students' recommendations for required undergraduate basic science courses would replicate the standard basic science coursework found in most dental schools: anatomy, histology, biochemistry, microbiology, physiology, and immunology plus the universal foundation course of biology.

State University of New York Upstate Medical University College of Medicine

Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University

Student success in basic medical science courses is typically determined by their individual performance on examinations of various types. Previous research both within and outside medical education has shown that the use of educational assessment activities can increase learning as demonstrated by performance on subsequent examinations, a phenomenon known as the testing effect. Activities primarily designed and used for assessment and evaluation purposes can also be used as teaching opportunities. We developed a method for measuring and evaluating student accomplishment in a preclinical basic science course that incorporates both individual and collaborative efforts, encourages and rewards active participation, does not compromise the reliability of the assessment outcome and is perceived by the students as helpful and valuable. The approach involved a two-part assessment activity composed of an individual examination and a small group examination with each component differentially weighted in determining an overall examination score. We found that the method was successful in encouraging collaborative efforts during the group component and provided valid measures of student grasp of the subject matter. We describe the development and implementation of the method, provide data derived from its use in a preclinical basic science course and discuss factors to be addressed when utilizing this approach to ensure fairness and reliability of the outcome. We include brief summary comments from students regarding their impressions of the value of this method.

Basic science courses are extremely important as a foundation for scaffolding knowledge and then applying it in future courses, clinical situations as well as in a professional career. Anatomical sciences, which include tooth morphology, oral histology, oral embryology, and head and neck anatomy form a core part of the preclinical courses in dental technology programs. In this article, the importance and relevance of anatomical sciences to dental personnel with no direct contact with patients (dental technicians) and limited discipline related contact with patients (dental prosthetists) is highlighted. Some light is shed on the role of anatomical sciences in the pedagogical framework and its significance in the educational process and interprofessional learning of dental technicians and prosthetists using oral biology as an example in the dental curriculum. To conclude, anatomical sciences allow dental technicians and prosthetists to a gain a better insight of how tissues function, leading to a better understanding of diagnosis, comprehensive treatment planning and referrals if needed. Patient communication and satisfaction also increases as a result of this deep understanding of oral tissues. Anatomical sciences bridge the gap between basic science, preclinical, and clinical courses, which leads to a holistic approach in patient management. Finally, treatment outcomes are positively affected due to the appreciation of the macro and micro structure of oral tissues. Anat Sci Educ 10: 395-404. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

Introduction: In recent years curriculum reform and integration was done in many medical schools. The integrated curriculum is a popular concept all over the world. In Shiraz medical school, the reform was initiated by stablishing the horizontal basic science integration model and Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) for undergraduate medical education. The purpose of this study was to provide the required data for the program evaluation of this curriculum for undergraduate medical students, using CIPP program evaluation model. Methods: This study is an analytic descriptive and triangulation mixed method study which was carried out in Shiraz Medical School in 2012, based on the views of professors of basic sciences courses and first and second year medical students. The study evaluated the quality of the relationship between basic sciences and clinical courses and the method of presenting such courses based on the Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) model. The tools for collecting data, both quantitatively and qualitatively, were some questionnaires, content analysis of portfolios, semi- structured interview and brain storming sessions. For quantitative data analysis, SPSS software, version 14, was used. Results:In the context evaluation by modified DREEM questionnaire, 77.75%of the students believed that this educational system encourages them to actively participate in classes. Course schedule and atmosphere of class were reported suitable by 87.81% and 83.86% of students. In input domain that was measured by a researcher made questionnaire, the facilities for education were acceptable except for shortage of cadavers. In process evaluation, the quality of integrated modules presentation and Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) was good from the students’ viewpoint. In product evaluation, students’ brain storming, students’ portfolio and semi-structured interview with faculties were done, showing some positive aspects of integration and some areas that need improvement. Conclusion: The main advantage of assessing an educational program based on CIPP evaluation model is that the context, input, process and product of the program are viewed and evaluated systematically. This will help the educational authorities to make proper decisions based on the weaknesses and strengths of the program on its continuation, cessation and revision. Based on the results of this study, the integrated basic sciences course for undergraduate medical students in Shiraz Medical School is at a desirable level. However, attempts to improve or reform some sections and continual evaluation of the program and its accreditation seem to be necessary.

The authors explored the extent to which medical schools have established institutional and departmentalized educational objectives, by examining the accreditation databases, institutional self-studies, and site visit reports of 59 schools surveyed by the Liaison Committee on medical Education (LCME) in 1994-1996. In this study, the individual school was the unit of analysis, and the dependent variables were statements--in outcomes' terms--of institutional and departmental learning objectives. Objectives were classified as "robust" when they were expressed as measurable learning outcomes in the domains of knowledge and skills and behaviors. Departmental objectives were assessed separately for core basic science courses and clinical clerkships. A number of independent variables were studied for their association with the elaboration of outcomes-based educational objectives: centralized management of the curriculum, curricular reform, an office of education, an institutionalized faculty development program, problem-based learning, interdisciplinary teaching, systematized assessment of educational outcomes, and structured clinical skills assessment. Of the 59 schools, 15 (25%) had robust institutional objectives that identified items of measurable knowledge, skills, and behavior, while 44 (75%) had modest objectives, usually descriptions of the purpose of the curriculum, global statements about the knowledge and behavior qualities that students should acquire, and the subjects that instructors intended to tech. Schools with well-articulated learning outcomes were more likely to have centralized management of the curriculum, a record of curricular reform, a program of problem-based learning, rich basic science course and clerkship objectives, and structured assessment of students' clinical skills. Well-stated and diverse educational objectives were found for basic science courses in only 13 of the 59 schools (22%). Thirty of the schools (51%) had clerkships with robust learning objectives, more commonly in the generalist specialties of pediatrics, family medicine, and internal medicine. Clerkships with stout objectives more often employed structured assessments of students' clinical skills. Schools that paid attention to the explication of learning objectives were more likely to link specific institutional and departmentalized outcomes with methods of evaluating students, in turn guiding the content and methods of instruction. Schools with vapid objectives attracted 40% more accreditation citations for shortcomings in curricular management, course and clerkship quality, and the evaluation of student achievement, especially in the clinical skills domain. In the future, accreditors should focus more closely on this association.

Background: Anatomy is one of the most important and basic medical science courses in the basic sciences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of anatomy in clinical practice from the viewpoint of intern and extern medical students in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Methods: A descriptive study was performed in the year 2017-2018 in which 238 medical student’s (clerkship and internship) were selected by census sampling method in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The instrument was a three-part questionnaire which was used after confirmation of validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 software and T-test (ANOVA, Chi-Square). Results: The mean and standard deviation of students' viewpoint on the aim of anatomy study to improve the specialized skills required (1.80±1.37), clinical importance of anatomy course (1.47±1.42), and importance of anatomy course in medical field(1.42±1.29), that not significant (p>0.05). The mean and standard deviation of male and female students' viewpoint on the method of teaching of anatomy course from the viewpoint of male and female students was respectively, review the theoretical subjects in practical classes (1.43 ± 0.72) and (1.66 ± 0.58), Sincere approach and decorated appearance of the professor(1/56±0.72) and (1/161±0.60), Simultaneous teaching of clinical and applied materials along with theoretical subjects(1/05±0.57) and (1/26±0.57), using the body mass and mass (1±0.52) and (1/21±0.53), which showed a significant difference (p <0.05). Conclusion: The planning for better training in anatomy courses and application of anatomical information to medical students in interships and its stagers is necessary to improve students specialized skills.

To demonstrate the applicability of server statistics, in combination with user surveys, to evaluate utilization of Web-based computer-aided instruction (CAI) in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Individual user surveys with students' names provided information about computer literacy prior to the course and use of CAI during the course. Utilization of specific web-based CAI developed for the course was recorded by server software and the daily logs correlated with course content. Regression analyses were used to measure correlation of server access logs of individual students versus information from user surveys and performances in the course based on in-course examinations. There was no correlation between computer literacy of students at matriculation and their subsequent levels of use of CAI in the curriculum. Utilization of CAI developed for specific course objectives coincided closely with course content, which is an indication of the effectiveness of the applications in achieving their curricular objectives. In contrast, student use of tutorials coincided most closely with in-course examinations. Students' responses to surveys were generally substantiated by server statistics, but discrepancies were sufficiently large (10% to 20%) to call into question the validity of these surveys. Significant differences in CAI utilization correlated with the performances of students in the course. This study demonstrates an important advantage of web-based applications to collect and evaluate CAI utilization efficiently and objectively at both the level of the class and the level of the individual student.

Neurophobia is the fear of neural sciences and clinical neurology that medical students develop due to their inability to apply their basic science knowledge to clinical situations. The treatment for neurophobia is to ensure a strong basic science/clinical integration in all years of the medical school curriculum, resulting in a continuum of neurologic education. The 2nd year Mind, Brain and Behavior (MBB) course at the University of Rochester integrates neural sciences, neuropathology, psychopathology and psychopharmacology in a 9‐week modified PBL format. Neurology and psychiatry faculty, many of whom have MD/PhD's, deliver the bulk of the lectures, and residents serve as PBL tutors and laboratory instructors alongside the faculty. Involvement of clinical faculty and residents in teaching the MBB course not only helps insure that the material taught is clinically relevant, but it also eases the transition to the 3rd year clerkships. The outcomes for the MBB course have been uniformly positive. Not only have students consistently rated MBB as the best basic science course in the curriculum, but their performance on the NBME subject test in neurosciences has been significantly higher than the national mean. A neuroscience course that integrates basic science and clinical neurology is likely to prepare students well for the new USMLE gateway examination. And neurophobia might even be replaced by neurophilia!

Many medical students find memorizing the detailed of their basic science courses difficult and daunting, especially if they do not know what the application of that subject is during their medical practice. The overall objective of this study was to encourage students to adopt a more anatomical approach to clinical skills and also to show explicitly the relevance of pulmonary anatomy and embryology, thus moving away from rote memorization of physical exam skills and anatomical knowledge.In order to accomplish the goal of interactive case‐based modules we used the Articulate Engage software suite to create two modules that progress slide by slide in order to encourage a logical flow from patient presentation through to treatment. Using Articulate we were also able to add interactive labeled diagrams to review pulmonary anatomy, pictures to study clinical skills, and integrated quizzes to test student knowledge. The pulmonary modules were evaluated objectively from the survey questionnaire results and subjectively from the comments from the results. Before the modules 20% of students felt they knew the pulmonary materials well or very well. After the modules 58% of students felt they knew the pulmonary materials well or very well. Over 90% of students surveyed strongly or very strongly wanted to see more modules like these modules in their program.

Background : Various educational approaches to learning have been proposed. It is, of course, of vital importance to study those that have resulted in effective educational achievements. Purpose : To assess the student's attitudes and performance in order to evaluate educational approaches and identify the variables leading to students gaining good marks. Methods : The subjects of the study were medical students at pathophysiology phase. A multiple-choice questionnaire was prepared, the reliability and validity of which were confirmed. A paired-sample T­ test was used to compare and analyze the student's Basic Sciences Comprehensive Exam scores in each discipline and their average score during the basic sciences course. Results: With respect to attitudes, the students highly valued the importance of teacher's methodology and mutual respect, as an influential factor in Learning. Furthermore, the majority of the students relied heavily on their textbooks as the main source of information and preferred to study at home, rather than any other places. Most of the students prefer to study in the morning. They believed that mid-term exams, quizzes, and active class participation do not have much effect on learning. However, it was of high importance to them to attend practical claSSfS (labs). With respect to performance, most of the students used lecture notes as the main references, and considered their home as a good place to study and preferred to study in the morning, but have participated in theoretical and practical classes regularly. Conclusion: Most successful students attributed their success to active class participation, taking mid-term exams, quizzes, and using library. Having analyzed the data, we recommend the authorities to provide more methodology workshops for teachers, sufficient number of textbooks, expanding or increasing the number of the reading rooms with essential equipment. Keywords : students' attitudes, student performance, learning

— New medical graduates were recruited during their internship programme biochemistry in their 'traditional' basic science course. It f r o m 10 teaching hospital s for a cross - sectional study, carried out in Riyadh area, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . A total of 200 participants were included in the study. All the p articipants filled out the study questionnaire . The questionnaire contained 10 basic B iochemistry questions that the graduates were supposed to recall answers for those questions from their prior knowledge . Other information included were gender, medical s chool attended, year of graduation, training hospital, whether preparing for board examination such as USMLE and PLAB. R esults revealed that out of the 200 participants recruited for this study , 124 were males and 76 were females. 26% of the participants g raduated from medical schools adopting PBL curriculum whereas 74% were from traditional medical schools. Less than

Introduction: Elective courses are important in undergraduate medical education worldwide. Nevertheless, there hasn't been enough research done on the role that optional courses play, especially regarding the vertical integration of basic science courses like physiology with clinical courses. Thus, more investigation is required to assess the significance and advantages of elective courses in the physiology basic science department. The study aims to assess the perception of students for the conduct of integrative elective modules within the Department of Physiology. Methods: Final-year medical students participated in a 60-hour, ten-day module focused on respiratory rehabilitation. The module included interactive lectures, case-based discussions, and clinical discussions on patients with skills related to Lung anatomy, Chest X-rays, pulmonary function tests, flow volume loops, arterial blood gas analysis, and yogic breathing techniques. The feedback was provided for assessment and taken for the module. Results: The final grades for the pupils varied from 74% to 90%. Interest and motivation for elective, Perceived Clinical, teaching, patient care benefits, enhanced learning, teamwork, collaboration, revisiting curriculum, and teaching were the themes identified in the thematic analysis of the student's perceptions of the elective module. Conclusion: The study revealed improved clinical interpretation for chest X-rays, pulmonary function tests, and critical care, as well as a rise in pre-clinical and clinical departments' interest in working together to address respiratory system topics. Though it will be too soon to determine the optional program's end conclusion, it is still a smart idea to move forward with. KEYWORDS: Medical Education, Undergraduate Students, Elective Courses, Vertical Integration, Physiology Education.

Background: Significant increase in the literature regarding “residents as teachers” highlights the importance of providing opportunities and implementing guidelines for continuing medical education and professional growth. While most medical students are enthusiastic about their future role as resident-educators, both students and residents feel uncomfortable teaching their peers due to the lack of necessary skills. However, whilst limited and perhaps only available to select individuals, opportunities for developing good teaching practice do exist and may be identified in courses that offer basic sciences. The Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic offers a teaching assistant (TA) elective experience to third- and fourth-year medical students through integrated apprenticeship and mentoring during the Human Structure didactic block.Aim: This article, aims to describe a curriculum for a TA elective within the framework of a basic science course through mentoring and apprenticeship.Results: Opportunities for medical students to become TAs, process of TAs’ recruitment, mentoring and facilitation of teaching and education research skills, a method for providing feedback and debriefing are described.Conclusion: Developing teaching practice based on apprenticeship and mentoring lends to more accountability to both TA's and course faculty by incorporating universal competencies to facilitate the TA experience.