Retention of surgical knowledge base by senior medical students

The medical course at the University of Queensland is 6 years in length. After studies in basic sciences, the fourth year consists of systematic pathology, clinico-pathological correlation and the learning of clinical methods. During the fifth year the core surgical knowledge base is taught. The sixth year is spent in clinical ward work aimed at problem-orientated consolidation of knowledge and skills, and the learning of applied therapeutics. We studied whether the surgical knowledge base taught to our fifth year students was retained a year later by the same students in their final year. A standardized post-test examination which had been presented to the students during their fifth year in 1990 was again presented to them during their sixth year in 1991. We found that the surgical knowledge base of this group of students remained the same in their final year as it had been in their penultimate year. We suggest that to continue testing core surgical knowledge once it has proven satisfactory is not productive. These students should progress to further clinical studies aimed at improving their problem solving ability.