Surgical Education Week 2013

Inductive vs. Deductive Learning on a General Surgery Clerkship

Surgical Education Week 2013

Inductive vs. Deductive Learning on a General Surgery Clerkship

B. Malone, K. Wirth, K. BarreraM. Klein, C. Turner, A. Sanni

Department of SurgerySUNY-Downstate Medical Center

B. Malone, K. Wirth, K. BarreraM. Klein, C. Turner, A. Sanni

Department of SurgerySUNY-Downstate Medical Center

Medical EducationMedical Education

• Recent philosophies driving changes in Recent philosophies driving changes in undergraduate medical educationundergraduate medical education

• Most curriculum changes in the past 10 Most curriculum changes in the past 10 years focus on the first 2 years of years focus on the first 2 years of medical schoolmedical school

• Recent philosophies driving changes in Recent philosophies driving changes in undergraduate medical educationundergraduate medical education

• Most curriculum changes in the past 10 Most curriculum changes in the past 10 years focus on the first 2 years of years focus on the first 2 years of medical schoolmedical school

Teaching Styles

HypothesesHypotheses

• Inductive learning has a greater Inductive learning has a greater positive impact on students' positive impact on students' acquisition of knowledge than acquisition of knowledge than traditional directed learning.traditional directed learning.

• Students prefer inductive Students prefer inductive learning methods to traditional learning methods to traditional directed learning.directed learning.

• Inductive learning has a greater Inductive learning has a greater positive impact on students' positive impact on students' acquisition of knowledge than acquisition of knowledge than traditional directed learning.traditional directed learning.

• Students prefer inductive Students prefer inductive learning methods to traditional learning methods to traditional directed learning.directed learning.

Study DesignStudy DesignCore surgical topics

Explicit outline of how topics should be

covered along with a recommended

textbook (Lawrence)

Presentations during morning rounds

limited to 5 minutes with a timer

Study Design

Pre-TestPre-TestDaily

Presentations on Rounds

Daily Presentations

on RoundsPost-TestPost-Test

Directed (chief resident)

Directed (chief resident)

Inductive (students)Inductive (students)

*n = 42 students*IRB approved June 29, 2012

Study Design

ResultsResults

p < 0.001

ResultsResults

p < 0.001 p = 0.005

ResultsResults

ResultsResults

ConclusionConclusion

• Inductive teaching significantly improves students' core surgical knowledge over the traditional directed lecturing style

• Students prefer inductive learning to directed learning

• Inductive teaching significantly improves students' core surgical knowledge over the traditional directed lecturing style

• Students prefer inductive learning to directed learning

RecommendationRecommendation

This inductive teaching curriculum should be incorporated into more medical student clerkship curricula, especially on general surgery rotations.

This inductive teaching curriculum should be incorporated into more medical student clerkship curricula, especially on general surgery rotations.