A learning package for medical students in a busy urology department: design, implementation, and evaluation

The need for innovation in the delivery of quality teaching and learning for undergraduates in urology is driven by a number of factors. An increasing proportion of care is delivered in ambulatory settings, hospital inpatients are increasingly unwell, and the National Health Service staff must find a balance in their dual roles as healthcare providers and clinical teachers. We describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative learning package for undergraduate medical students in urology. This consisted of a simulated urology outpatient clinic to prepare students for learning in the outpatient environment and an on-line self- and peer-assessed learning exercise to provide students with the necessary clinical knowledge of the core problems in urology and to encourage reflection.

Action research principles were used to design, deliver, and evaluate a model for teaching and learning in the outpatient setting. Fourth-year medical students at the start of a 1-week clinical teaching block were given the opportunity to participate in a simulated urology outpatient clinic. On-line support material was designed around 2 core clinical problems in urology. The evaluations were gathered using an anonymous on-line questionnaire and a pre- and postcourse test of knowledge for a sample group.

Of the students who responded, 100% found the on-line material helpful for learning about the core clinical problems. The results demonstrated a 12% improvement in scores in a knowledge test at 1 week and 18% at 1 month after the teaching block compared with the control group from the previous academic year for which the mean improvement was 7% at 1 week and 8% at 1 month after the teaching program.

The evaluation results demonstrated a positive effect on learning without compromise to the service provided to patients. This could be developed as a model for teaching and learning urology or other specialties.