Human simulation exercises help improve medical pharmacology learning (LB630)

In order to evaluate the effect of human simulation as an active learning method on student performance, simulation exercises were included as a mandatory component of the medical pharmacology course taught in the second year of medical school in the previous discipline‐based curriculum at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Students in groups of 5 or 6 managed cardiovascular, respiratory, infectious, endocrine, CNS, and toxicology emergency cases. In addition to history taking, physical examination, performance of procedures, and laboratory data analysis, each exercise also included writing detailed prescriptions of emergency and chronic treatment for the simulated patients’ conditions. Pathophysiology and pharmacology related to each case were discussed under the guidance of faculty preceptors during the debriefing sessions. Impact of the human simulation exercises were evaluated by student perception of their usefulness in learning and by NBME medical pharmacology subject examination performance. Analysis of student feedback showed that simulation exercises were perceived as a highly effective instructional method by the students. Student performance in the NBME examination improved significantly during the 2009‐2013 simulation years (an average 3‐digit score of 538±9; n=5) compared with 2006‐2008 pre‐simulation years (478±18; n=3; p<0.05). These data suggest that highly immersive human simulation exercises requiring team‐work, clinical decision‐making, prescription writing, and basic science‐based debriefing help improve student satisfaction and pharmacology learning. Grant Funding Source : Supported by intramural funds