Clinical performance evaluation of junior medical students

Abstract

Because of reduction in number of hours and the trend towards clinical relevance, the traditional lecture-dominant system for the pathology course was replaced by a textbook-oriented system in 1971. Students obtained basic information from a textbook, and the faculty provided enrichment activities in the form of learning examinations, symposiums, and case problem-solving exercises. Final cognitive achievement was determined by an examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners identical to the one given to the preceding class. The class mean of 79.1 was significantly higher than the 73.8 mean of the prior class. Student attitudes, determined by questionnaires, revealed positive shifts in attitude toward the relevancy of the study of pathology and the desire for more compulsion in educational situations. The new course has highlighted the need for detailed guidance, including specific content-oriented objectives, audiovisual materials, and major emphasis on concepts and problem-solving skills in examinations. It also indicated that even when the number of course hours is reduced, there can be an improvement in student achievement, acceptance, and motivation.