Lost and Found: Student Perceptions of an Experiential Learning Approach to Supporting Basic Science Integration...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Reasoning
• Experiential Learning

Background:

• Medical education faces challenges in retaining and applying basic science knowledge during clinical clerkships.
• Opportunities to integrate basic science with clinical reasoning are often limited.
• The Sciences and Art of Medicine Integrated (SAMI) course aims to bridge this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore third-year medical students' perceptions of the SAMI course and its experiential learning components.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of integrated learning in enhancing clinical reasoning and knowledge application.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study using end-of-course surveys (quantitative) and focus groups (qualitative).
• Data analyzed using thematic analysis grounded in Kolb's experiential learning theory.
• Third-year medical students' perceptions of course quality and components were assessed.

Main Results:

• Most students rated the overall educational experience as good or excellent.
• Teamwork and standardized patient encounters were highly rated for supporting clinical reasoning and communication.
• Students valued collaborative learning, basic-clinical science integration, and skill-building opportunities.

Conclusions:

• Experiential, small-group learning grounded in Kolb's model effectively bridges basic science and clinical reasoning.
• The SAMI course demonstrates a successful model for integrative medical education.
• Enhancing feedback mechanisms and logistics can further optimize such interventions.