Integrating basic sciences into clerkship rotation utilizing Kern's six-step model of instructional design: lessons...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Curriculum Development
• Instructional Design

Background:

• Formal integration of basic and clinical sciences in undergraduate medical education remains a challenge globally.
• Existing medical curricula often lack sufficient integration between foundational scientific principles and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an intervention facilitating cognitive integration of basic and clinical sciences using Kern's Six-Step Model.
• To implement and evaluate a learner-centered, content-focused teaching strategy within a cardiology clerkship.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Kern's Six-Step Model for instructional design, including needs assessment via focus groups.
• Implemented a flipped classroom approach for a 2-week cardiology clerkship in Year 5 medical students.
• Evaluated through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and a formative multiple-choice question (MCQ) test.

Main Results:

• Successfully developed and implemented integrated flipped classroom sessions.
• Identified challenges including faculty teaching style variations, scheduling, and resistance to change.
• Students appreciated the flipped case model and clinical cases for integrating basic sciences; faculty noted standardization as a key challenge.

Conclusions:

• A functional, learner-centered framework for cognitive integration of basic and clinical sciences was successfully developed.
• The developed framework shows potential for implementation across other medical clerkship rotations.