Does team-based learning help medical students understand PMS and related conditions?

Abstract Introduction This team-based learning (TBL) module instructs obstetrics and gynecology clerkship students on diagnosis and initial management of premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, sexually transmitted infections, pelvic organ prolapse, and menopause. This module is ideally suited for an active learning curriculum in which students are accustomed to preparing ahead of time and working through questions and cases in the classroom. Methods Students arrive at the session having read a series of prereadings. They first take a closed-book individual readiness assurance test (IRAT) to test their grasp of foundational information. They are then grouped into teams of five to seven students to complete the group readiness assurance test (GRAT), which is identical to the IRAT. The students remain in their teams as they complete an application exercise consisting of a case vignette and a number of complex multiple-choice questions. Results To date, 147 students making up 26 teams have completed the TBL module, with an average score of 72.80% (range: 53%-92%) on the IRAT, 94.33% (range: 86%-99%) on the GRAT, and 53.33% (range: 60%-100%) on the application exercise. Discussion We feel that TBL enables students to be more active learners compared to our previous didactic structure featuring PowerPoint-driven lectures. The advantages of this module are that (1) less faculty preparation time is needed, (2) students are actively engaged in application of the material, and (3) no traditional lecturing is required. Students are assessed using multiple-choice questions, and their group interactions are assessed by their peers. This module can be scaled to any size group greater than a minimum of 10 since students form teams of five to seven for the exercise.

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