New Perspectives in Science Education

Medical education is characterized by dense, accelerated content delivery within tight timeframes, offering few opportunities for review, revisit and consolidation of knowledge. Medical schools admit a diverse student body. The transition from the stable, didactic undergraduate milieu to the reality of medical school “fire hose” of information is challenging for medical students’ worldwide. Standard criteria used as indicators of academic success include a high GPA, MCAT score and performance in a personal interview. Despite meeting these criteria, many students perform poorly or fail when faced with the demands of the first-year curriculum. Research has demonstrated the need to explore other “academic markers” that may explain underperformance of students in the first year of medical school. Information processing, test-taking strategies, attitude, concentration, time management and managing anxiety, many components of self-regulation  have all been shown to contribute to academic success(1). Developed in 2019, Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) is the first, 4 tier post baccalaureate MD program in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Medical Cohorts are 50% local Emirati and 50% international postgraduate students. Our research has shown that many students who underperform in the first course in medical school, continue using the same techniques and proceed to underperform in subsequent courses. Students express the time it takes to “learn how to learn “to discover suitable learning resources and establish effective study techniques. We have implemented the Learning and Study Skills Inventory (LASSI) a comprehensive 60-item survey instrument, to assess students’ awareness and implementation of learning and study strategies. Over the course of a 4-year longitudinal study, we have assessed students’ awareness, learning and study strategies conducting follow-up focus groups to gain deeper insights into the specific learning challenges our students face. Based on these results, we have developed a bespoke module titled “Learning how to Learn”, comprised of a series of hands on workshops designed to assist incoming medical students (2, 3).We report the composition of the module and share feedback to date. Our findings shed light on the significance of nurturing effective learning and study skills as an integral component of medical education, ultimately contributing to academic success and professional development of students.

Keywords: self-regulation, study skills, academic success, learning to learn, medical education

References

1. Marland JG, Dearlove J, Carpenter J. LASSI: An Australian evaluation of an enduring study skills assessment tool. 2015.

2. O’Sullivan S, Campos LA, Baltatu OC. “Involve Me and I Learn”: Active Learning in a Hybrid Medical Biochemistry First Year Course on an American-Style MD Program in the UAE. Medical Science Educator. 2022;32(3):703-9.

3. Hoops LD, Yu SL, Burridge AB, Wolters CA. Impact of a student success course on undergraduate academic outcomes. Journal of College Reading and Learning. 2015;45(2):123-46.