A Multimodel, Resident-Run Medical Student Curriculum in Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Does It Improve NBME (National Board of Medical Examiners) Exam Scores?

Abstract

Background

There is variability in clinical rotations for the third year medical students. Many factors (i.e., clinical location, patient volume and medical school didactics) can affect how well the student learns the material needed to succeed on the NBME (National Board of Medical Examiners) exam.

Objectives

The goal of this study was to design and implement a multimodel, resident-run medical student curriculum and evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum in improving Obstetrics and Gynaecology NBME exam scores.

Study Design

This 2-year medical education quality improvement project went from October 2022 to 2024. The length of the curriculum was 6 weeks, and students met with a resident for two 30-min sessions per week. Each session was designed as a case study for students to answer questions and discuss specific patient scenarios. There was also a weekly plan with supplemental resources for students to review beforehand. A total of 55 students had a reported NBME score and were included in the analysis.

Results

There was a statistically significant increase in mean NBME scores when compared to the mean score from previous years before the implementation of the curriculum. This was consistent across two medical student groups from two different medical schools.

Conclusion

This study showed high student satisfaction with the newly implemented curriculum. This may have been due to the multimodel approach and the supplemental material provided for different learning styles. Future studies that are adequately powered and have appropriate controls are needed to better evaluate whether a multimodel approach truly does improve exam performance and to better tease out which specific aspect of the multimodel approach is most helpful.