Utility Value Theory Underlies Students' Attitudes to Biomedical Sciences Curricula

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Biomedical Sciences
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Biomedical sciences education has shifted from standalone courses to integrated, clinically-oriented curricula in medical schools globally.
• Few studies have systematically examined student attitudes toward and perceived relevance of basic sciences within these reformed curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate medical students' attitudes, perceived importance, relevance, value, and acceptance of an integrated biomedical curriculum.
• To explore student perceptions regarding the contextualization and timing of biomedical science content in relation to clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to second- to sixth-year medical students at Otago Medical School.
• Surveys included Likert-scale and open-ended questions; three focus groups were conducted for further qualitative insights.
• Thematic analysis using inductive coding was applied to focus group transcripts.

Main Results:

• 708 out of 1500 medical students responded to the survey, indicating general acceptance of the biomedical program.
• Perceived value, importance, and relevance of the biomedical curriculum significantly decreased from the second to the sixth year.
• Key themes identified were the need for contextualizing biomedical science in clinical practice and adopting a 'just-in-time' approach to content delivery.

Conclusions:

• Students recognize the importance of biomedical sciences and the need for early reinforcement of clinical application skills.
• The current biomedical curriculum may contain excessive detail, hindering clinical usefulness.
• Improvements are needed to strengthen the linkages between biomedical teaching and clinical application.