OrthoACCESS 2.0: Redesigning a National Orthopaedic Surgery Curriculum for Medical Students using a Flipped-Classroom...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Medical students often lack sufficient musculoskeletal education before orthopaedic surgery residency.
• A standardized didactic curriculum was absent before the OrthoACCESS initiative in 2019.
• Students expressed a need for interactive, case-based learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a flipped-classroom, blended learning curriculum for medical students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of this curriculum in improving orthopaedic knowledge.
• To address the educational gap in undergraduate orthopaedic training.

Main Methods:

• The OrthoACCESS 2.0 curriculum utilized a 16-week blended learning format with in-person/recorded lectures and virtual case discussions.
• Evaluation involved pre-curriculum, post-case discussion, and post-curriculum surveys.
• Statistical analysis included paired Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for Likert-item responses and thematic analysis for free-text feedback.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in self-reported orthopaedic knowledge was observed, with 68% reporting strong knowledge post-curriculum versus 23% pre-curriculum (p < 0.001).
• Knowledge gains were significant after each lecture and case discussion (p < 0.001).
• Key benefits included broad topic coverage and learning to think like a surgeon; clinical obligations were the main attendance barrier.

Conclusions:

• The OrthoACCESS 2.0 flipped-classroom curriculum effectively enhanced foundational orthopaedic knowledge for medical students nationwide.
• This blended learning model demonstrates potential applicability to other specialties with limited undergraduate exposure.
• The program successfully addressed the need for standardized, interactive orthopaedic education.