title: Assessing the impact of a comprehensive sexually transmitted disease curriculum on learning outcomes.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala, USA. schiang@uabmc.edu
authors.forename: Seine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Geisler
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Rebar
mesh_terms: 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