Purpose Xavier University School of Medicine adopted an integrated, organ system-based curriculum in January 2013. The present study was aimed at determining students’ perceptions of the integrated curriculum and related assessment methods. Methods: The study was conducted on first- to fourth-semester undergraduate medical students during March 2014. The students were informed of the study and subsequently invited to participate. Focus group discussions were conducted. The curriculum’s level of integration, different courses offered, teaching-learning methods employed, and the advantages and concerns relating to the curriculum were noted. The respondents also provided feedback about the assessment methods used. Deductive content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Twenty-two of the 68 students (32.2%) participated in the study. The respondents expressed generally positive opinions. They felt that the curriculum prepared them well for licensing examinations and future practice. Problem-based learning sessions encouraged active learning and group work among students, thus, improving their understanding of the course material. The respondents felt that certain subjects were allocated a larger proportion of time during the sessions, as well as more questions during the integrated assessment. They also expressed an appreciation for medical humanities, and felt that sessions on the appraisal of literature needed modification. Their opinions about assessment of behavior, attitudes, and professionalism varied. Conclusion: Student opinion was positive, overall. Our findings would be of interest to other medical schools that have recently adopted an integrated curriculum or are in the process of doing so.
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Xavier University School of Medicine admits students mainly from the United States and Canada to the undergraduate medical program. A previous study conducted in June 2013 used the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure to measure the educational environment and impact of different teaching and learning methods in the program. The present study aims to obtain information about students’ perceptions of changes in the educational environment, which underwent modifications in teaching and learning, in January 2014. Information was collected about the participants’ semester of study, gender, nationality, and age. Students’ perceptions of the educational environment were documented by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 50 statements grouped into five categories. Average scores were compared among different groups. The mean total and category scores were compared to those of the 2013 study. Sixty of the sixty-nine students (86.9%) who enrolled in the undergraduate medical program participated in the survey. The majority were male, aged 20¬–¬25 years, and of American nationality. The mean±SD total score was 151.32±18.3. The mean scores for students’ perception in the survey categories were perception of teaching/learning (38.45), perception of teachers (33.90), academic self-perceptions (22.95), perception of atmosphere (36.32), and social self-perception (19.70). There were no significant differences in these scores among the different groups. All scores except those for academic self-perception were significantly higher in the present study compared to the previous one (P < 0.05). The above results will be of particular interest to schools that plan to transition to an integrated curriculum.
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Methods The study was conducted among the second and third semester undergraduate medical students during the last week of September 2013, in Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands. Students were informed about the objectives of the study and invited to participate after obtaining written, informed consent. Demographic information like gender, age, nationality and whether the respondent had been exposed to PBL before joining the institution were noted. Student perception about small group effectiveness was studied by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 19 statements using a Likert type scale.
Results Thirty four of the 37 (91.9%) second and third semester medical students participated in the study. The mean cognitive score was 3.76 while the mean motivational and demotivational scores were 3.65 and 2.51 respectively. The median cognitive category score was 27 (maximum score 35) while the motivation score was 26 (maximum score 35) and the demotivational score was 12 (maximum being 25). There was no significant difference in scores according to respondents’ demographic characteristics.
Conclusion Student perception about small group effectiveness was positive. Since most medical schools all over the world already have or are introducing PBL as a learning modality, Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument can provide valuable information about small group functioning during PBL sessions.
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