Pediatric Intersession: An Upfront Flipped-Classroom Curriculum to Promote Pediatric Clerkship Readiness

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatric Training
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Established best practices for pediatric clerkship readiness curricula are lacking.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a re-evaluation of existing medical student didactics.
• Traditional lecture-based formats may not be optimal for preparing students for clinical clerkships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an innovative, upfront clerkship readiness curriculum for pediatric rotations.
• To replace traditional weekly lectures with an interactive, case-based learning approach.
• To enhance foundational pediatric knowledge and preparedness for clinical clerkships.

Main Methods:

• A needs assessment guided content development based on Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP) guidelines.
• A four-day, pre-clerkship curriculum, Pediatric Intersession (PI), was designed.
• Flipped classroom (FC) methodology and case-based learning were employed.

Main Results:

• Over 90% of surveyed students reported enhanced clinical learning from the PI curriculum.
• Pre-/post-testing indicated knowledge gains following small-group sessions.
• No significant difference was observed in National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Subject Exam scores compared to previous cohorts.

Conclusions:

• The Pediatric Intersession (PI) curriculum offers a successful, adaptable model for pediatric clerkship readiness.
• The interactive, small-group, flipped classroom approach aligns with student learning preferences.
• This re-envisioned didactic model effectively prepares medical students for pediatric clinical rotations.