Komal Marwaha, Paul L Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC, El Paso, TX rRyan Cain, Paul L Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC, El Paso, TX Katherine Asmis, Paul L Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC, El Paso, TX Priya Harindranathan, Paul L Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC, El Paso, TX Shakeel Ahmed, Paul L Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC, El Paso, TX
PURPOSE
The shortened pre-clerkship phase in integrated medical curricula has
raised concerns about medical students not retaining and applying
foundational knowledge during clerkship. Yet few studies incorporate
clerkship faculty perspectives, who directly observe students’ application of
basic-science knowledge and are well-positioned to inform elective courses
intended to reinforce basic science during clinical training. This
mixed-method study addresses that gap by conducting a clerkship faculty-centered
needs assessment evaluating basic-science integration, students’
preparedness, and priorities for physiology elective during clerkship.
METHODS
An anonymous survey was distributed to clerkship-faculty that included
Likert-scale items on the importance and adequacy of basic-science
integration, a yes/no item evaluating opportunities to assess basic-science
application, open-ended prompts soliciting elective topic suggestions, and
ranking of three proposed electives (obesity pathophysiology, psychosocial
stress, and aging physiology). Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively
and using chi-square tests. Qualitative responses underwent structured
content analysis to identify thematic domains.
RESULTS
Forty-six faculty responded. Although 82.9% rated basic-science integration
during clerkships as extremely important, only 44% agreed that the current curriculum
integrates it effectively. A majority (70.6%, p = 0.016) reported regular
opportunities to assess students’ application of basic-science knowledge,
suggesting integration occurs informally rather than through structured
design. Perceptions of students’ basic-science preparedness showed a
statistically significant trend toward agreement (52.9%, p = 0.048), with
nearly half neutral or disagreeing. Faculty identified several high-yield
domains for potential fourth-year electives—including renal/electrolyte
physiology and pharmacology. When evaluating the three electives proposed by
the physiology faculty, 78.8% agreed that students would benefit, with
obesity pathophysiology receiving the highest first-choice rankings.
CONCLUSION
Findings highlight persistent gaps in formal basic-science integration
during clerkship and strong support for targeted, clinically grounded
fourth-year physiology electives. A clerkship-informed, need-based elective
model may strengthen integration while improving receptivity among clinical
educators.