Presented By: Oheneba Boadum, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Co-Authors: Kathryn Veazey, Drexel University College of Medicine

Purpose
Selecting clinical content for pre-clerkship neuroscience courses is a daunting process. Many instructors and students focus on "high-yield" concepts (HYCs), meaning they have a high likelihood of appearing on standardized exams. Still, HYCs do not necessarily correlate to clinical conditions with high clinical incidence rates (CIRs). This study investigated if the first-year neuroscience-related clinical conditions presented at two medical schools aligned with CIRs. The researchers then compared these conditions to those covered by four review textbooks, as well as collected data on the methods used to teach them.

Methods
First-year neuroscience content (ex. Syllabi, lesson plans, etc.) at two US allopathic medical schools were screened for clinical conditions, including the teaching methods used. These were compared with HYCs from four standard neuroscience review textbooks, as well as national CIRs to identify similarities and discrepancies.

Results
While most neuroscience HYCs in review textbooks were taught at both institutions, there appeared to be significant discrepancies between certain HYCs and CIRs. For example, several conditions with CIRs below 0.5/10,000 persons received frequent mention in both the medical curriculum and review textbooks (ex. Syringomyelia - CIR 8.4/100000; Schools = 2/2; Textbooks = 4/4). However, more commonly occurring conditions received less curricular attention (ex. Fetal alcohol syndrome - CIR 1.5/1000; Schools = 1/2; Textbooks = 3/4). These results are part of a broader list of similar findings the researchers observed. Teaching methods were either didactic, team-based learning, independent learning modules, or multidisciplinary reviews.

Conclusion
There was a lack of consistency between first-year clinical neuroscience concepts, HYCs in review texts, and clinical incidence/prevalence rates. This may be indicative of a larger problem within medical education of prioritizing content to prepare students for licensing exams, instead of preparing students for what they may see in clinical practice.