Musculoskeletal Learning and Knowledge Retention Among Postgraduate Physicians: Evaluating the Long-Term Impact of a New Preclerkship Curriculum at a Nationally Accredited Medical Program

Abstract

Introduction: Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries and disorders are exceptionally prevalent in the clinical setting. Despite this, physician training in MSK medicine has been historically inadequate contributing to a lack of MSK knowledge, confidence, and clinical skills among postgraduate physicians. The goal of this investigation was to examine the long-term impact of a new preclerkship MSK curriculum implemented by a nationally accredited medical program on postgraduate physician's learning and knowledge retention in the area of MSK medicine. Methods: Five hundred sixty-eight postgraduate physicians (years 1–6) who had previously completed the new curriculum over a 6-year period were recruited to complete a standardized and validated MSK examination that consisted of 30 multiple-choice questions on core or must-know topics in MSK medicine that could be directly mapped to learning objectives within the new preclerkship MSK curriculum. Results: Ninety postgraduate physicians completed the examination, obtaining an average score of 75.0% (±10.2; range 57.0-100.0). Physicians who completed MSK-related electives during clerkship training or specialized in fields related to MSK medicine (i.e., orthopaedics, PM&R, sports medicine, and rheumatology) performed significantly better on the MSK examination (p ≤ 0.01). Conclusion: Data indicated that the program's new preclerkship curriculum supports high levels of MSK learning and knowledge retention among postgraduate physicians. These findings are expected to assist with the establishment of minimum curriculum standards and can be used to guide MSK curricular reform at other medical programs.