Introduction of temporal integration in fourth year MBBS curriculum; Students' experience

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Medical science innovations require advanced curricula.
• Traditional methods may not meet evolving educational needs.
• A public sector medical university introduced a new curriculum for fourth-year MBBS students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess student perceptions of a temporally integrated curriculum and clinic-pathological conferences.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a new teaching methodology in medical school.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2019 to April 2020.
• A pre-validated 17-item questionnaire was administered to students twice.
• Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.

Main Results:

• A majority of students (265 in the first phase, 176 in the second) found temporal integration facilitated easier topic study.
• The primary reported advantage was enhanced understanding and conceptual grasp.
• Student suggestions included revising topic time allocation and implementing the curriculum from the first year.

Conclusions:

• The new curriculum represents an improvement over traditional methods.
• Students positively perceived various aspects of the integrated methodology.
• Continuous feedback and evaluation are recommended for further curriculum enhancement.