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Effect of Curriculum Change on Exam Performance in a 4-Week Psychiatry Clerkship

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Abstract

Objective

The authors investigated whether curriculum change could produce improved performance, despite a reduction in clerkship length from 8 to 4 weeks.

Methods

The exam performance of medical students completing a 4-week clerkship in psychiatry was compared to national data from the National Board of Medical Examiners’ Psychiatry Subject Examination and the United States Medical Licensure Examination Step 2 CK psychiatry and mental disorders subtests.

Results

Curriculum change and restructuring to a 4-week psychiatry clerkship resulted in above-average and sustained improvement on nationally standardized assessment measures.

Conclusion

Examination performance can be optimized despite a 50% reduction in the duration of a psychiatry clerkship.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Ohio State University College of Medicine, 1670 Upham Dr., Columbus, OH, 43210

    Julie Niedermier M.D. (Associate Professor of Psychiatry) &  David Kasick M.D.

  2. Office of Medical Education, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, USA

    David Way M.Ed. &  Rada Kuperschmidt

Authors
  1. Julie Niedermier M.D.
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  2. David Way M.Ed.
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  3. David Kasick M.D.
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  4. Rada Kuperschmidt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julie Niedermier M.D..

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Niedermier, J., Way, D., Kasick, D. et al. Effect of Curriculum Change on Exam Performance in a 4-Week Psychiatry Clerkship. Acad Psychiatry 34, 216–219 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.34.3.216

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.34.3.216

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