153 - Meeting the Needs of Adult Learners: A Curriculum Revamp for Musculoskeletal and Electrodiagnostic Training

Friday, February 23, 2024

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT

Presenting Author(s)

RM

Ria Malhotra, MD

Resident Physician
Montefiore PM&R
New York, New York, United States

Co-Author(s)

Nicole R. Ortiz, MD

Fellow
Montefiore Medical Center
New York, New York, United States
RF

Ricardo Fuentes-Saavedra, MD

Resident Physician
Montefiore Medical Center
New York, New York, United States
FM

Fernando Martinez, MD

PM&R Resident, PGY3
Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, New York, United States
SR

Stephanie Rand, DO

PM&R Residency Program Director
Montefiore Medical Center
New York, New York, United States
TT

Tonyan Thompson, MD

Resident Physician
Montefiore Medical Center
New York, New York, United States

Objectives: Adult learner theory highlights the importance of self-directed learning, applicability to real-life circumstances, and active problem solving in education to successfully meet the unique needs of adult learners. Traditional medical education is often rigidly structured and relies heavily on lectures and passive learning, which research suggests does not best support adult learners. The objective of this project was to design a musculoskeletal (MSK) and electrodiagnostic (EDx) learning module in a residency training program that aligns with adult learner theory to improve resident educational ratings and retention of important anatomic and clinical principles in these areas.

Design: Our previous curriculum comprised separate MSK and EDx modules, predominantly composed of lectures with minimal active engagement. To enhance learning, we introduced a new curriculum that combined both subjects, facilitating spaced repetition through interactive workshops. The revised curriculum emphasized facilitated workshops, cadaveric anatomy sessions, and group study. We conducted surveys among residents who participated in the traditional lecture-based module before initiating the new curriculum, which was implemented for the 2022-2023 academic year. After this, data was collected from residents engaged in this segment on the same variables.

Results: Residents rated their baseline educational experience as 5.7 for MSK and 4.6 for EDx topics and knowledge as 5.9 and 5.8 out of 10, respectively; they “agreed” that the anatomy workshops contributed to their knowledge but were “neutral” regarding other didactic sections. After the new curriculum, residents rated education quality as 7 for MSK and 5 for EDx, knowledge as 7.7 and 6.8, respectively, and “agreed” that all didactic sections were beneficial.

Conclusions: Utilizing the common foundation of anatomy underlying both MSK and EDx knowledge, we devised a cohesive module that incorporated elements in accordance with adult learner theory. This curriculum modification enhanced resident knowledge and education ratings, supporting further implementation of non-traditional educational approaches in residency training programs.