Small-group discussion versus lecture format for third-year students in obstetrics and gynecology.
OBJECTIVE
To compare lecture and small-group discussion for third-year medical students in obstetrics and gynecology.


METHODS
Over a 2-year period, 91 third-year medical students in the obstetrics and gynecology clerkships were given educational sessions on diabetes and hypertension in pregnancy by a single instructor, either in a traditional lecture format or in a small-group discussion. After the instructional sessions, students anonymously completed a 20-question multiple-choice examination on the covered topics. They also completed an evaluation form on the instructional format, using a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). At the completion of each clerkship, students repeated the same multiple-choice examination.


RESULTS
There was a significantly higher level of enjoyment (median value 5 versus 4, P <.001) and sense of educational stimulation (median value 5 versus 4, P <.001) in the discussion group, and students in the discussion group were less desirous of the alternate instructional format than those in the lecture group (median value 2 versus 3, P <.001). However, there were no differences in the test scores, either immediately after the instructional sessions or at the end of the clerkships. There was a 90% power to detect a 15% difference in postinstructional test scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Third-year medical students learning about hypertension and diabetes in pregnancy during their obstetrics and gynecology clerkship strongly preferred small-group discussions over traditional lectures. However, this preference did not lead to improved test scores on these subjects.
Fischer
Richard L
RL
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey, USA. Fischer-richard@cooperhealth.edu
Jacobs
Samuel L
SL
Herbert
William N P
WN
D000328:Adult; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013663:Teaching