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06:24
Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing
Published on: May 28, 2013
[Retention of knowledge. I--Dermatology and psychiatry programs]
E Marcondes1, C W Maruta, S Aguiar
1Departamento de Dermatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de S. Paulo.
Revista Do Hospital Das Clinicas
|May 22, 1998
Summary
Medical students experience significant knowledge loss after completing their training programs. This study found average knowledge retention deficits of 20% in Dermatology and 27% in Psychiatry, regardless of student demographics or external study.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Knowledge Retention Studies
- Higher Education Pedagogy
Background:
- Medical education programs aim to impart extensive knowledge and skills.
- Assessing knowledge retention is crucial for evaluating curriculum effectiveness and long-term learning outcomes.
- Understanding factors influencing knowledge decay in medical trainees is essential for optimizing educational strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and quantify knowledge retention in medical students upon program completion.
- To compare knowledge loss between the Dermatology and Psychiatry training programs.
- To identify potential influencing factors on knowledge retention, such as examination timing, student demographics, and extracurricular study.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of examination scores between the fourth and fifth years of medical training.
- Utilized examinations with identical content but different question sets.
- Administered the fifth-year examination at the beginning of the training program to assess retained knowledge.
Main Results:
- Significant knowledge loss was observed in both programs: 20.0 +/- 2% for Dermatology and 27.0 +/- 3% for Psychiatry.
- Knowledge retention was not significantly affected by the time elapsed between examinations.
- Student sex, race, and engagement with the 'hidden curriculum' (out-of-university study) did not influence knowledge retention.
Conclusions:
- Medical students experience substantial knowledge attrition after completing their formal training.
- The observed knowledge loss is a significant concern for maintaining clinical competency.
- Further research is needed to explore effective interventions to mitigate knowledge decay in medical education.
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