Structured didactic teaching sessions improve medical student neurology clerkship test scores: a pilot study.
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.
Menkes
Daniel L
DL
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
Reed
Mary
M