Retrieval practice improves long-term retention. Use of interactive retrieval practice in large group, in-person and online live classes, in combination with outside resources, is unreported for medical physiology classes. The primary study purpose was to compare student cohorts' performance with or without retrieval practice in renal physiology…

This descriptive article describes the use of clinical case-based portfolios in histopathology teaching laboratories in conjunction with virtual microscopy not only to integrate histology and pathology disciplines for first and second year medical students but also to stimulate student engagement, promote self-directed and group-based learning and…

Changes in medical school curricula often require educators to develop teaching strategies that decrease contact hours while maintaining effective pedagogical methods. When faced with this challenge, faculty at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine converted the majority of in-person histology laboratory sessions to self-study modules…

Success in residency matching is largely contingent upon standardized exam scores. Identifying predictors of standardized exam performance could promote primary intervention and lead to design insights for preclinical courses. We hypothesized that clinically relevant courses with an emphasis on higher-order cognitive understanding are most…

Extended matching, a test item format used currently in medical licensing examinations, is described. Procedures for writing and reviewing such test items are outlined, test development and psychometric advantages are discussed, and issues in test administration and scoring are examined. The extended matching form is also seen as having uses for…

A study of 217 Stanford University (California) Medical School graduates found clerkship experience lengths from 12 to 23 months; the median was 18 months. A highly significant correlation was found between longer clinical training and higher scores on Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination. Results suggest that decreasing…