PURPOSE
The purpose of the study was to determine long-term retention of physiology
concepts and effects of integrating a 10-minute high-fidelity simulation
snippet into a didactic unit.
METHODS
We measured learning outcomes as the number of correct answers on ten
multiple-choice, board-style question (MCQ)-quiz presented as an anonymous,
formative, voluntary Qualtrics survey. The quiz was administered to 2nd
year-medical students after the didactic unit including a simulation snippet
(post-quiz), and pre- and post-quiz, following the same didactic unit
reintroduced in the 3rd year. Achieving 70%, (7 correct answers to 10
MCQ-quiz) was a measure of assimilating the didactics’ learning objectives.
RESULTS
The mean number of correct answers (±SD) in 2nd year students (n=125) was
7.23±2.07 (=didactic unit including simulation achieved its learning
objectives). The mean number of correct answers to the same quiz administered
to 3rd year students (n=130) was 6.04±1.82, a highly significant drop (2nd
vs. 3rd year p<0.0001). To reinforce these concepts the same didactic unit
was presented to 3rd year students divided into simulation or control groups
(controls=the same didactic unit, but without simulation) The mean number of
correct answers was: simulation group: 5.90±1.61 (pre-didactic quiz; n=63)
and 7.79±0.69 (post-didactic quiz; n=63); vs. control group: 6.16±1.99
(pre-didactic quiz; n=67) and 7.58±1.85 (post-didactic quiz; n=67). Both
groups improved significantly. The simulation group showed a trend for better
performance vs. controls (the difference was borderline significant
(p=0.063).
CONCLUSION
Medical students do not fully retain physiology concepts taught in the 2nd
year, as evidenced in a significant drop in long-term (1 year) learning
outcomes. Reintroducing these concepts in the 3rd year restores the original
learning outcomes and doing so with the addition of a high-fidelity
simulation snippet into the didactic unit shows a promising trend for
additional improvement.