Luke's 3rd year: A 35-year retrospective

Purpose: Our purpose was to review and evaluate Duke University School of M edicine's 3rd year. Summary: Duke University School of Medicine instituted a dramatic change in its curriculum 35 years ago by restructuring the 1st, 2nd, and 4th years o f medical school so that the entire 3rd year could be devoted to an electiv e research experience or independent study of the basic sciences. Today thi s "new curriculum" permits students to work in basic science laboratories o r with clinical investigators, work reward a 2nd degree, and participate in basic science courses beyond the core curriculum. Students were surveyed i n 1996 and 1998 about their 3rd-year experience. Results showed that 67% an d 73%, respectively, believed the 3rd year was very helpful in facilitating their understanding and appreciation of biomedical and clinical research. Students especially valued the experience and availability of their precept ors and the range of opportunities available during the 3rd year The most f requent critiques by students were the lack of opportunities to pursue clin ical interests, difficulty integrating the 3rd year into the remainder of t he curriculum, and a tendency to place too much emphasis on coupling the 3r d-year experience with scholarships and residency plans rather than on a sp ecific investigative interest Conclusions: Overall, both faculty and students value the 3rd year as a uni que positive experience. Duke faculty have noted, however that no other med ical schools have attempted to replicate the Duke experience. Copyright (C) 2001 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.