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Faculty opinions about a revised pre-clinical curriculum.
Daryoush Tavanaiepour1, Peter L Schwartz, Ernest G Loten
1Pathology Department, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand. peter.schwartz@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Medical Education
|March 7, 2002
Summary
Faculty satisfaction with innovative medical curricula is high, even with hybrid models. A new integrated curriculum, less intensive than problem-based learning (PBL), received positive faculty feedback, similar to PBL.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Curriculum Development
- Faculty Satisfaction
Background:
- Innovative curricula are encouraged in medical schools to gauge faculty satisfaction.
- Problem-based learning (PBL) shows positive faculty perceptions, but large-scale adoption is challenging.
- This study evaluates faculty opinions on a novel, less intensive curriculum compared to PBL.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine faculty members' satisfaction with a new integrated, modular pre-clinical curriculum.
- To compare faculty perceptions of the new curriculum with those of a traditional curriculum and PBL.
Main Methods:
- A survey questionnaire, identical to those used in PBL studies, was administered to faculty.
- Faculty compared student and their own satisfaction levels in old and new curricula.
- The study achieved a high response rate of 85.4% (152/178).
Main Results:
- Faculty teaching in both pre-clinical and clinical years reported positive perceptions of the new curriculum.
- Results were directionally consistent and similar in magnitude to those reported for PBL.
- No significant differences in satisfaction were noted between faculty teaching pre-clinical versus clinical students.
Conclusions:
- A hybrid curriculum, more acceptable than PBL, positively impacts faculty perceptions of student abilities and curriculum.
- This model offers an effective alternative for institutions unable to implement full PBL.
- Faculty satisfaction is a key indicator of curriculum success in medical education.