Implementing the "Flipped Classroom" on a Gynecologic Oncology Service

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Gynecologic Oncology
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• The "flipped classroom" model is an innovative pedagogical approach.
• Effective training in gynecologic oncology is crucial for obstetrics and gynecology residents.
• Assessing the impact of new curricula on resident performance is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of a flipped classroom curriculum on gynecologic oncology (gyn onc) in-service examination scores.
• To determine if the new curriculum improved resident performance in the specialized field of gyn onc.

Main Methods:

• A curriculum focused on weekly topics using the flipped classroom model was implemented in January 2009.
• Gynecologic oncology-specific in-service examination scores before (1999-2009) and after (2010-2011) curriculum implementation were compared.
• Linear regression analysis was used to estimate the mean percentage point change, adjusting for resident clustering.

Main Results:

• Analysis included 90 residents (295 scores).
• A significant increase of 6.5 percentage points (95% CI 3.5-9.6) in mean gyn onc scores was observed post-curriculum.
• Overall in-service examination scores did not show a significant change during the same period.

Conclusions:

• The flipped classroom curriculum focusing on weekly topics led to improved in-service examination scores in gynecologic oncology.
• This educational strategy demonstrates potential for enhancing resident education across various obstetrics and gynecology subspecialties.