A transitional curriculum for preparing medical students for internship, does it work?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Curriculum Development
• Formative Evaluation

Background:

• An innovative clinical pre-clerkship curriculum was evaluated.
• The program aimed to facilitate a less stressful transition to medical clerkships.
• Formative evaluation sought to determine program merit and identify areas for improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the viability and effectiveness of a new clinical pre-clerkship curriculum.
• To identify critical aspects of the program for potential enhancement.
• To inform decisions regarding the continuation of the medical education initiative.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of student logbook data to track patient contacts and skill acquisition.
• Utilized the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire.
• Assessed student perceptions of the learning environment across six clinical departments.

Main Results:

• Achieved 64% of expected patient contacts and over 71% of required skills teaching in four departments.
• Students reported more positive than negative perceptions of their learning environments.
• Identified key performance indicators and areas for program refinement.

Conclusions:

• The clinical pre-clerkship curriculum demonstrates sufficient merit to warrant continuation.
• Specific considerations for program improvement have been identified.
• The program is deemed a worthwhile investment in medical training.