RATINGS OF STUDENTS PERFORMANCES IN A 3RD-YEAR INTERNAL-MEDICINE CLERKSHIP - A COMPARISON BETWEEN PROBLEM-BASED AND LECTURE-BASED CURRICULA

Purpose. To compare clinical performances in a third-year internal med icine clerkship between students from a problem-based learning (PBL) c urriculum and students from a traditional, lecture-based learning (LBL ) curriculum. Method. The study participants were 88 PBL students and 364 LBL students rotating through a common third-year internal medicin e clerkship at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest Unive rsity, classes of 1991-1995. Faculty and housestaff assessed the stude nts' performances using four clinical rating scales. The students also completed the medicine subject (''shelf'') test of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Results. On average, the PBL students re ceived significantly higher ratings from housestaff and faculty on all four rating scales. No difference in scores on the NBME medicine shel f test was observed. Conclusion. The results support the hypothesis th at preclinical PBL curricula as found at the Bowman Gray School of Med icine may enhance third-year students' clinical performances.