The relevance of basic sciences in undergraduate medical education

Lynch, C; Grant, Timothy; McLoughlin, Paul; Last, Jason

doi:10.1007/s11845-015-1268-7

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…In fact, evidence suggests that a six-year degree may be superior to a five-year degree in relation to overall academic outcome [19]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of free-choice electives in an undergraduate medical degree

Daly

2017

BMC Med Educ

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BackgroundThe University College Dublin Elective Programme was introduced in 2005 with the intention of broadening the learning of its undergraduate students. Undergraduate medical students undertake seven free-choice electives during their six-year degree programme. They are permitted to choose electives from any school in the University. Students also have the option of selecting ‘In-Programme’ electives, which are aligned to medical themes. The purpose of this study is to analyse the electives taken by medical students with a view to better understanding the factors that influence their choices.MethodsIn this mixed methodology study, the quantitative phase consisted of a retrospective analysis of 3318 elective choices associated with 474 medical students between 2006 and 2013. Elective choices were analysed in terms of popularity, difficulty level and subject matter. The prospective qualitative phase consisted of a series of semi-structured focus groups held with current medical students. Discussions from the focus groups underwent thematic analysis with a few to exploring and clarifying the quantitative findings.ResultsThe most frequently chosen electives were In-Programme (38.6%) and Applied Language (21.6%) electives, with patterns not significantly varying from year to year. Male and female students tended to take the same type of electives. Focus group discussions revealed that the primary factor motivating choice was workload, with students preferring less demanding electives. Participants indicated that elective grading and assessment criteria had a significant impact on their choices. Participants described ways in which the elective selection process could be improved, including a desire for more structured electives and a revision of the elective selection process.ConclusionsThe retrospective data analysis revealed a high level of consistency in medical students’ elective choices from stage to stage and between different year cohorts. Qualitative investigation revealed that medical students tend to focus on grading, assessment strategies and skills development when choosing their electives. The implication that students may be reluctant to take more challenging electives despite having an interest in the subject is one that warrants consideration when designing or adapting programmes for the future. Although these findings are associated with a free-choice elective programme, similar strategies are likely to be employed for the more traditional option-based programmes that are associated with the majority of medical degrees internationally.

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“…In fact, evidence suggests that a six-year degree may be superior to a five-year degree in relation to overall academic outcome [19]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of free-choice electives in an undergraduate medical degree

Daly

2017

BMC Med Educ

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“…The majority of literature on this topic has focused on predicting student performance in medical and dental school and the relationship between standardized tests and/or grades with overall grades and licensure examination performance. In medical school admissions, several studies demonstrated that the students’ science grade point average (GPA) and their scores on the Medical College Admission Test ® (MCAT ® ) can be positively correlated with grades in the pre‐clinical, or basic science, coursework and pass rates on the United States Medical Licensing Examination ® (USMLE ® ) Step 1 examination (Hall and Stocks, ; Donnon et al, ; Prideaux et al, ; Lynch et al, ). Even at medical schools outside the United States, where students are often selected directly from high school, the combination of grades and standardized tests have also shown predictive value in early medical school performance (McManus et al, ; Lambe and Bristow, ; Poole et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many of the mentioned studies looked at a variety of undergraduate factors in preparation for medical school (Hall and Stocks, ; Donnon et al, ; Lynch et al, ) and dental school (Sandow et al, ; Ranney et al, ; Curtis et al, ; Holmes et al, ) courses; however, most have not examined why certain courses facilitate success in gross anatomy. Understanding the mechanisms that help students succeed in gross anatomy coursework may be beneficial to both students and anatomy faculty as it would allow faculty to bring some of these same experiences and resources to students without prior anatomy coursework.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Benefits of Anatomy Coursework Prior to Medical and Dental School

Robertson

Thompson

Notebaert

2019

Anatomical Sciences Ed

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Student struggles in gross anatomy coursework at the professional level can result in hours of remediation along with a need to allot time and other resources by both the student and the faculty. Since this course typically occurs in the first semester of the first year, programs can turn to admissions data to try to determine which of these students may struggle. This study looked at two years of medical (n = 280) and dental (n = 78) students to determine if there is a relationship between pre‐admissions anatomy coursework and performance in gross anatomy at the professional school level. Students provided data regarding their past anatomy coursework and final grades in professional school gross anatomy courses were obtained. In addition, students responded to questions regarding their feelings of preparation and how they valued the prior anatomy coursework as it related to the professional course. Statistical analysis showed no difference in final course grade between students with and without prior anatomy in either program. Counter to the numerical data, 96.6% of the students in the study recommended an anatomy course prior to pursuing a health science degree. The primary reasons given for this recommendation were the benefits of repeated content exposure, knowledge of the anatomy terminology, and decreased stress regarding the course. The results from this study suggest that the benefits of prior anatomy may be seen more in the students’ stress and quality of life rather in the numerical performance of course grades.

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