Assessing the impact of a comprehensive sexually transmitted disease curriculum on learning outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to assess the impact of a curriculum designed to improve third-year medical students' knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases, measured by sexually transmitted disease-related items from the National Board of Medical Examiners subject examination and by a locally developed sexually transmitted disease test.


METHODS
All students (n = 108) were exposed to a new sexually transmitted disease curriculum: a 2-hour laboratory module, lectures, syllabus, and locally developed pretest/posttest with review of the test prior to taking the National Board of Medical Examiners subject examination. Students were randomized to a attend sexually transmitted disease clinic (n = 47) versus no sexually transmitted disease clinic (n = 61).


RESULTS
Students performed equal to or better than the national average on 85% of the National Board of Medical Examiners sexually transmitted disease-related items after curriculum institution, compared with 56% of the test items prior ( P < .001). Magnitude of improvement was dependent on clerkship timing, with greater improvement in students taking the obstetrics-gynecology clerkship earlier in the third year. Mean postcurriculum test scores of sexually transmitted disease improved significantly ( P < .001), independent of clinic site and clerkship timing.


CONCLUSIONS
The curriculum for sexually transmitted disease produced significant improvement in third-year medical students' knowledge of sexually transmitted disease. This might have an impact on future prevention and control of sexually transmitted diseases in communities in which these students practice.
Chiang
Seine
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala, USA. schiang@uabmc.edu
Geisler
William M
WM
Jackson
James R
JR
Rebar
Robert W
RW
D000407:Alabama; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003479:Curriculum; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D018456:Reproductive Medicine / Q000193:education*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases; D013663:Teaching