A Novel Educational Tool to Improve Medical Student Knowledge Acquisition During Surgical Rotations

• Published in: The American surgeon Vol. 88; no. 9; pp. 2309 - 2313
• Main Authors: Portelli Tremont, Jaclyn N., Kratzke, Ian M., Williford, Michael L., Pascarella, Luigi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2022
• Subjects: National Board of Medical Examiners subject exams; medical student education; educational tool; surgery clerkship
• ISSN: 0003-1348; 1555-9823
• DOI: 10.1177/00031348211023430

Background The addition of a novel education tool helps students improve understanding of general surgery topics. However, the effect of the new tool on objective exam performance is unknown. Materials A 10-item card of high-yield general surgery topics was implemented in the third-year surgery clerkship. Students reviewed these topics with general surgery residents. Scores from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) surgery subject exam and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) board exam were compared among students who completed the Ask-a-Resident Topic card to a control group. Results Students who participated in the curriculum demonstrated significantly better scores on the NBME Surgery exam, t (236) = −2.56, P = .006. There was not a significant effect of the curriculum on Step 2 CK scores, although students who participated in the curriculum (M = 250.7, SD = 13.4) achieved higher scores than the control group (M = 247.8, SD = 14.2). Discussion The novel curriculum may improve objective student performance on standardized surgery exams.