title: Structured didactic teaching sessions improve medical student neurology clerkship test scores: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effectiveness of didactic case-based instruction methodology to improve medical student comprehension of common neurological illnesses and neurological emergencies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neurology department, academic university.
  
  
  METHODS
  415 third and fourth year medical students performing a required four week neurology clerkship.
  
  
  METHODS
  Raw test scores on a 1 hour, 50-item clinical vignette based examination and open-ended questions in a post-clerkship feedback session.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant improvement in overall test scores (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Didactic teaching sessions have a significant positive impact on neurology student clerkship test score performance and perception of their educational experience. Confirmation of these results across multiple specialties in a multi-center trial is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee health Sciences Center at Memphis, 855 Monroe Avenue, Link Building, Room 415, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. dmenkes@utmem.edu
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Menkes
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reed