Experiences with a method for obtaining feedback on a medical curriculum undergoing change

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Curriculum Development
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Implementing change in medical education is challenging due to complex administrative and curricular interdependencies.
• The University of New South Wales' Faculty of Medicine introduced a new 6-year medical curriculum in 1988 to address issues with the previous 5-year program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a method for obtaining ongoing staff and student feedback on a medical curriculum during its implementation.
• To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this feedback method in the context of curriculum change.

Main Methods:

• An ongoing, year-by-year evaluation of the new medical curriculum was conducted by the Course Evaluation Committee.
• Feedback was collected from both faculty and students regarding the curriculum's transition and effectiveness.

Main Results:

• The feedback method provided specific, timely information with a high response rate.
• Challenges included the repeated use of the same student cohort and some staff skepticism regarding evaluation validity and student feedback.

Conclusions:

• The described feedback method offers valuable insights for curriculum innovation in medical schools.
• Addressing staff perceptions of threat and fostering ownership are crucial for effectively utilizing feedback in educational change initiatives.