Successful Implementation of a Robust Medical Student Curriculum in Anesthesiology

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anesthesiology Training

Background:

• Rising medical student numbers strain clinical course directors' capacity.
• Ensuring consistent clinical experiences for all students is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address challenges in accommodating medical students in clinical electives.
• To enhance anesthesiology education through curricular modifications.

Main Methods:

• Implemented 2-week anesthesiology electives to improve scheduling flexibility.
• Integrated a consistent didactic framework with clinical experiences.

Main Results:

• Student enrollment in anesthesiology electives increased by over 33% since 2017.
• Increased enrollment of fourth-year medical students.
• Maintained anesthesiology match rates at or above 8% of the graduating class.

Conclusions:

• The modified curriculum effectively accommodates increased student enrollment.
• The new elective structure supports consistent, high-quality anesthesiology education.
• The changes have positively impacted student interest and matching in anesthesiology.