A return to the past: a student perspective on medical school pharmacology

In 1989, the second-year medical school pharmacology course at New York Medical College was revised to help improve student and faculty morale, improve scores on class exams and the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), and encourage more active student participation in the course. Rather than incorporating new and innovative teaching techniques, the course adapted a more classical presentation of material. Traditional blackboard lectures replaced lectures aided by the use of slides, overheads, and extensive handouts. Transcripts and the tape recording of lectures were prohibited. Higher standards for students were set with the implementation of a passing grade, initially set at 65% and increased to 66%. Review sessions with senior graduate students were incorporated, and the use of live animal demonstrations was continued. Despite the return toward a more traditional classroom, students' satisfaction with the course continues to be high, with an overall 80% satisfaction rating. Attendance at lectures is quite high (> or = 80%). In addition, student scores on the USMLE continue to improve, and the number of students failing pharmacology continues to decrease. Overall, these trends indicate that the changes implemented in the pharmacology course at New York Medical College in 1989 successfully improved student participation in class and performance in the course and on the USMLE.
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