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

Abstract

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.