Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026
13:44
Project-Based Learning Guidelines for Health Sciences Students: An Analysis with Data Mining and Qualitative Techniques
Published on: December 9, 2022
Incorporating active learning into a psychiatry clerkship: does it make a difference?
Mary Morreale1, Cynthia Arfken, Patrick Bridge
1Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. mmorreale@med.wayne.edu
Summary
Active Learning (AL) in psychiatry clerkships improved medical student satisfaction and preparedness for Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs). However, AL did not significantly impact National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) scores or the likelihood of students choosing psychiatry as a specialty.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychiatry Training
- Active Learning Strategies
Background:
- Traditional lecture-based curricula may not fully engage medical students.
- Assessing the impact of innovative teaching methods is crucial for improving medical training.
- Medical student interest in psychiatry as a specialty requires focused attention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of Active Learning (AL) versus traditional lectures in a psychiatry clerkship.
- To evaluate the impact of AL on student satisfaction, OSCE preparedness, and specialty choice.
- To analyze the effect of AL on National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) psychiatry shelf-examination scores.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving two groups of medical students (N=108 traditional, N=102 AL) during a 1-month psychiatry clerkship.
- Data collection through surveys on satisfaction, OSCE preparedness, and specialty interest.
- Analysis of NBME psychiatry shelf-examination scores using independent-samples t-tests.
Main Results:
- Medical students reported higher satisfaction and improved sense of preparedness for the Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) with Active Learning (AL).
- No significant difference was found in National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) psychiatry shelf-examination scores between the AL and traditional groups.
- The interventional curriculum did not increase the expressed likelihood of students choosing psychiatry as a specialty.
Conclusions:
- Active Learning (AL) effectively enhances medical student satisfaction and Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) preparedness in psychiatry clerkships.
- While AL improves certain educational outcomes, it did not significantly alter National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) exam performance or specialty preference.
- Further research may be needed to identify strategies that increase medical student interest in pursuing psychiatry.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Drug Therapy
The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications
Antianxiety Medications
01:13Patient-centered Care
Patient-centered care involves delivering care beyond inpatient hospitalization. Reflective practice can enhance a patient-centered approach. Reflective practice is a process of reasoning that considers all aspects of the present situation, including practicalities, learning from personal practice, and consideration of patient needs. Patients appreciate care decisions made while considering their input. Involving the patient in their care provides the patient with a sense of contribution rather...
01:21Cognitive Learning
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
01:26Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or playing an...
01:26Modeling in Therapy
Modeling, a key technique in therapy, uses observational learning to help clients acquire and practice new skills by watching therapists demonstrate desired behaviors. This approach, rooted in Albert Bandura's concept of vicarious learning, plays a significant role in therapeutic interventions for various psychological conditions, including social anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
01:24Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching I: Assessment and Diagnosis
The nursing process provides a clinical decision-making framework for patients and families to establish and implement a personalized care plan. Since part of the nurse's duties is to teach patients, the steps of the nursing process are the most effective way to approach instruction. The nursing process and the teaching-learning process are inextricably linked.
It is critical to determine the patient's learning needs during the assessment. Determination of learning needs compounds data from the...
It is critical to determine the patient's learning needs during the assessment. Determination of learning needs compounds data from the...