Introduction of a joint physiology-pharmacology capstone project in a premedical master's program

Capstone projects are active and integrative, compared to passive learning from didactic lectures. Although some healthcare programs utilize these modalities, capstone projects have not been reported in a premedical master's program. We introduced a joint physiology-pharmacology capstone project in a premedical master's program.

The joint capstone project was introduced in Spring 2022 across dual campuses with a total of 72 students. Students were divided into teams, and each team selected a disease-drug pair from a list of faculty-provided options. Students investigated the disease-related physiologic changes in multiple organ systems, general treatment strategy, novel drug development, and the new drug's mechanism of action and side effects. Finally, each team generated a slide set and delivered a presentation. Each student was required to submit a reflection about the capstone project. The Block 4 Physiology exam assessed learning objectives derived from the core concepts presented in the students' capstone projects. At the end of the semester, an anonymous survey collected students' evaluations and feedback.

Student performance on the joint capstone project was excellent, with an average of above 93.5% on all physiology, pharmacology, and common domains. The mean performance on questions related to capstone diseases (self-learning) was similar to the average performance on the teacher-taught content in the Block 4 exam of the Physiology course. There were 72 (100%) responses to the evaluation survey. The majority of students (77.8% - 88.9%) agreed and strongly agreed that the joint capstone project facilitated self-directed learning of the pathophysiology, clinical trials, drug development, and therapeutic management of diseases. Students felt strongly that the joint capstone project enhanced the integration of physiology, pharmacology, and diseases. Teamwork was highly appreciated by students as well. In students' reflections, integration, teamwork, and future application were the most common themes.

A joint Physiology-Pharmacology capstone project in a premedical master's program could be an effective and efficient strategy to enhance premedical students' ability to integrate physiology, pharmacology, and disease. This project cultivates self-directed learning and teamwork.