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Very long-term retention of basic science knowledge in doctors after graduation
Eugène J F M Custers1, Olle T J Ten Cate
1Centre for Research and Development of Education, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands. E.J.F.M.Custers@umcutrecht.nl
Medical Education
|March 16, 2011
Summary
Biomedical knowledge retention is better than commonly believed. While performance declines over decades, unrehearsed basic science knowledge is largely retained for about two years before a gradual logarithmic forgetting curve begins.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Cognitive Psychology
- Knowledge Retention
Background:
- Concerns exist regarding rapid forgetting of biomedical knowledge post-learning.
- Limited research has investigated long-term retention of basic science knowledge in medical professionals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term retention of basic science knowledge among medical students and doctors.
- To specifically examine the retention of unrehearsed knowledge over time.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study design.
- Knowledge retention testing of medical students and doctors in the Netherlands.
- Analysis of the relationship between retention interval and test performance.
Main Results:
- Overall performance decreased from ~40% for students to 25-30% for doctors after many years.
- Unrehearsed knowledge showed minimal loss for 1.5-2 years, followed by a logarithmic forgetting curve.
- Retention after 25+ years was approximately 15-20%.
Conclusions:
- Forgetting of unrehearsed medical knowledge aligns with the Ebbinghaus curve for meaningful material.
- The 'downward' phase of forgetting appears to initiate later in this domain compared to others.
- Findings suggest potential implications for medical education strategies.
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