Sifting through course evaluations: medical student comments driving surgery curriculum changes.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Curriculum Development
• Student Feedback Analysis

Background:

• Student input in curriculum design presents a challenge in balancing educational improvement with student desires for easier courses.
• Evaluating the impact of student feedback on curriculum changes is crucial for effective pedagogical strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent to which student comments influenced curriculum alterations in a third-year surgery course.
• To analyze the relationship between student-driven curriculum changes, student grades, and course perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of written student comments from end-of-course evaluations (2006-2011).
• Comparison of grouped student comments with implemented course changes.
• Juxtaposition of course alterations with student academic performance and evaluation data.

Main Results:

• 12 out of 17 curriculum alterations were directly linked to student feedback.
• Student-reported course ratings increased from 2.57 to 3.39 over five academic years.
• A significant increase in the percentage of 'A' grades was observed in the final year, following a period of decline.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms that student feedback is actively incorporated into curriculum development, with a high percentage of changes directly reflecting student comments.
• Improvements in course perception did not directly correlate with higher grades during the initial four years of the study.
• Curriculum modifications driven by student input have contributed to the surgery clerkship receiving the 'best clerkship' award for four consecutive years.